German color words are remarkably straightforward. The basic palette includes "rot" (red), "blau" (blue), "grün" (green), "gelb" (yellow), "schwarz" (black), "weiß" (white), "braun" (brown), "grau" (grey), "orange" (orange), "rosa" (pink), and "lila" (purple). Each lets you describe the most common things you see around you.
Beyond the basic hues, German has useful descriptive terms. "Bunt" means "colourful," as in a market with many bright stalls. To describe the brightness of a colour, use "hell" (light) and "dunkel" (dark); for example, the example phrase "dunkelblau" combines "dunkel" with "blau" to make "dark blue," and "hell" can describe a bright, friendly room.
These adjectives typically follow a linking verb such as "ist," as shown in the example sentences: "Der Apfel ist rot" (The apple is red), "Der Himmel ist blau" (The sky is blue), and "Der Schnee ist weiß" (The snow is white). Mastering these words lets you describe the world around you in vivid detail.