Colours in English — A World of Colour
Colours in English — A World of Colour
The markets of La Réunion are a colour riot — vanilla pods black as ink, lychees bright red, turmeric yellow on every stall. When I first sold nothing and just walked through, colours were my first French words that actually stuck.
Colours are the fastest vocabulary win in any language: visible everywhere, no grammar needed. These are the eleven you will use daily, plus the shade trick.
🎯 Language Focus
| Colour | Word | Real example |
|---|---|---|
| The basics | red, blue, yellow, green | “The sea is deep blue here.” |
| Dark & light | black, white, grey | “A white shirt for the interview.” |
| Warm pair | orange, pink | “Pink sunsets over the lagoon.” |
| Earth pair | brown, purple | “Brown bread, purple flowers.” |
| Lighter | light + colour | “A light green salad.” |
| Darker | dark + colour | “A dark red wine.” |
✏️ Quick Practice — Try It, Then Check
1. The sky on a clear day?
2. Make “green” darker.
3. Which is NOT a basic colour? a) grey b) beige c) red
4. “___ chocolate” — the brown kind with high cocoa.
5. Spell the British version of “color”.
6. Grass in summer? Two possible answers.
7. Describe a snow leopard using two colours.
8. Your favourite colour — say the full sentence.
🗣️ Your Turn (60 seconds)
Look around the room. Name eight things and their colours out loud: “The door is brown. My cup is white.” Add light/dark to at least two of them.
💡 Your 5-Minute Takeaway
Eleven colours + light/dark in front = hundreds of combinations. red, blue, yellow, green, black, white, grey, orange, pink, brown, purple. Learn them as pairs and shades, not as a list.
Independent educational resource. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or accredited by Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Confers no qualification. Grammar reference: Swan, Practical English Usage. Frameworks: PPP, TBLT, ESA (standard ELT methodology).