Describe the Beauty of Italy With 83 Colors in Italian

Basic Italian colors you will use all the time

As in all languages, colors help you specify your tastes and preferences. 

• Il caffé italiano: sempre nero e bollente! = The Italian coffee: always black and boiling hot!
• Preferisco il vino rosso a quello bianco. = I prefer red wine over white wine.
• Portami una penna blu, per favore. = Bring me a blue pen, please.

As you may notice, most Italian words for colors differ from their English translations. So, is Italian hard to learn, considering these differences? Not at all. English and Italian have many similarities and share many cognates due to the historical influence of the Romance languages on English. Also, modern Italian has numerous loanwords from English, making it an easy language for an English speaker to learn.

When it comes to colors in Italian, however, it’s much more interesting to focus on the differences.

Why are the words for colors in Italian so different from English?

The origin of the names of colors in Italian is a melting pot of languages adopted locally over centuries, not only from Latin.

Actually, the ancient Romans described colors very differently. For instance, they had distinct words for the same color, whether it was brighter or duller. Moreover, the Roman Empire was so vast that it encompassed populations with different languages that enriched the local vocabulary.

Lastly, consider that many colors took their names from natural elements, new trades, or stones and materials from the edges of the empire or the evolution of artistic techniques that continuously added new words.

That’s why even this short list of Italian colors includes words with Latin origins, like rosso (red), and others with Proto-Germanic roots, such as bianco (white), which intriguingly may have evolved into the Italian bianco and the English “black.” There are even colors with Persian roots, like azzurro (light blue), or Greek origins, like rosa (pink).

Notice also how Italians use different words to describe variations of blue. So, to describe the sky on a sunny day and sound more natural, use the colors azzurro or celeste, which comes from volta celeste (literally, the celestial vault).

Another difference from English is the color arancione (orange). Do not confuse it with arancio (the orange plant) or arancia (the fruit)-even though in some regions, arancio may be used in informal conversation to refer to any of the three.

A similar thing happens with the color pink: il rosa (masculine) is translated with “pink,” while la rosa (feminine) is the rose.

Italian colors from materials or natural elements

We’ve anticipated this topic with colors like bordeaux, named after the French wine, or lilla (lilac) and rosa (pink), which take their names from the lilac and rose flowers, respectively. However, there are other Italian words for colors where this connection between natural elements/materials and the color’s name is even more evident.

Italian words to describe colors: shades, tones, and finishes

Knowing how to specify basic shades, tones, and textures will give those colors uniqueness. Italian has many words to describe these nuances, from metallic finishes to vibrant fluorescents. If you’re a fashionista heading to Milan, you’ll want to know how to describe colors and effects with more detail with this list.

Some examples of how to use them:

• Ho comprato una giacca rosa fluo. = I bought a neon pink jacket.
• La mia macchina è grigio metallizzato. = My car is metallic grey.

If you want to learn Italian and sound immediately more natural, you can also use diminutivi (diminutives) and vezzeggiativi (affectionate forms). Native Italian speakers use them a lot, and it’s a good trick if you haven’t memorized many colors in Italian, yet. Using them you can give the idea of a lower or different saturation when describing a color without being very specific.

These variations typically express a lighter or faded version of a base color, or a color with a hint of another shade. They are formed by adding a suffix to the color name. Here are some examples you may have heard often:

• giallino, from giallo (yellow): A light, pale, faded yellow, or a pastel version of it.
• verdognolo, from verde (green): A yellowish-green or a color that has a hint of green without being fully green.
• biancastro, from bianco (white): A whitish tone, referring to something white with a slight hint of another color, like gray or cream.

How to use gender and number of colors in Italian correctly

As with all words, the names of colors must also follow the rules of Italian grammar. Almost all colors must match the gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural) with the noun they describe. However, there are a few exceptions. Let’s break it down.

Standalone nouns

The word colore (color) is masculine, so when referring to the colors themselves, all Italian colors are masculine. For this reason, always use the masculine Italian articles:

• il rosso = the red
• l’arancione = the orange

Colors can also be plural, such as when describing various shades of a specific color:

• Esistono molti rossi. = There are many reds.

Adjectives

When colors describe something specific, they follow the rules of Italian adjectives. This means they need to agree with the gender and number of the noun they refer to.

Here is how a color agrees with gender:

• un vestito rosso  = a red dress
  • Masculine because of the masculine noun vestito (dress).
• una camicia bianca = a white shirt
  • Bianco (white) becomes bianca to match the feminine noun camicia (shirt).

Italian colors change also for number agreement:

• i vestiti rossi = the red dresses
  • The plural of rosso (red) is rossi (reds), matching the plural word vestiti (dresses).
• le scarpe bianche = The white shoes
  • The plural of bianca is bianche, matching the plural noun scarpe (shoes).

Cultural importance of colors in Italy

Learning Italian colors is not just about adding more words to your vocabulary – it’s a gateway to understanding Italian culture on a deeper level.

Colors of the Italian flag

The colors in the Italian flag are green, white, and red. That’s why Italians refer to it as il tricolore, which means “the three colors.”

These three colors connect to the country’s identity and history, as white and red were part of Milan’s municipal coat of arms, while green was the color of Milan’s Civic Guards’ uniforms. They became so representative for Italians that, over time, they transcended the political meanings to become symbols of the people during the Risorgimento, the Italian unification movement.

Italian sports

If you’re a soccer fan, you might have heard broadcasters refer to players by the colors of their uniforms. For example, players and fans of the Milan soccer team are called rossoneri (rosso = red + nero = black). Same for Juventus supporters, which are called bianconeri (bianco + nero), and so on.

Also in sports, the affectionate term azzurri (the light blues) is used to refer to the male athletes of Italy’s national teams, with azzurre for the female athletes. The Italian men’s soccer team used to wear white kits before 1911, when they first played in blue uniforms. This color recalls the House of Savoy coat of arms, the royal family that once ruled Italy, and the shade of blue is actually called blu Savoia (Savoy blue).

This light blue became a symbol of unity in sport, so powerful that it became an affectionate nickname for Italian athletes. It was kept as the official uniform even after Italy’s shift from a monarchy to a republic.

Italian arts

Colors in Italy have a strong connection with art, design, and fashion—all of which are essential parts of Italian culture.

Italian	English Translation	Origin
giallo Modena	Modena yellow	A vibrant yellow associated with Ferrari cars and the city of Modena.
rosso Ferrari	Ferrari red	The bright red used in Ferrari sports cars.
rosso pompeiano	Pompeian red	The famous pigment used in Pompeii’s frescoes was, actually, a yellow ochre. Still, the color changed due to the heat and gases from the volcanic eruption that destroyed the city.
rosso Tiziano	Titian red	Named after the Venetian painter Titian, who largely used it in his paintings.
rosso Valentino	Valentino red	The iconic red used by designer Valentino. He didn’t create it, but it became so popular in his designs that it took the name.

Colors in Italian festivals

Another opportunity to see how important the connection between colors and culture or symbolism is can be found in Italian festivals. From the explosion of colors at the Venice or Viareggio carnivals to the Palio di Siena, with the colorful banners of the districts, Italian festivals are a fun opportunity to test your knowledge and discover how many colors you can name.

Describing a person using colors in Italian

Colors play a crucial role in describing people’s unique features. But not all features can be described with the exact word corresponding to the color. Let’s see how you can talk about eyes, hair colors, and skin tones in Italian.

Eye colors in Italian

In Italy, they say: Gli occhi sono lo specchio dell’anima (The eyes are the mirror of the soul). So, let’s learn how Italians describe eye colors in Italy.

• Di che colore hai gli occhi? = What color are your eyes?
• I miei occhi sono marroni. = I have brown eyes.

Italian	Pronunciation	English Translation
azzurri	ah-DZOOR-ree	light blue
blu	BLOO	blue
grigi	GREE-jee	gray
marroni	mahr-ROH-nee	brown
neri	NEH-ree	black
nocciola	noh-CHOH-lah	hazel/light brown
verdi	VEHR-dee	green

When describing eye colors in Italian, remember that occhi (eyes) is a masculine plural noun, so the adjective must also be masculine and plural. For example:

• Ha gli occhi neri. = He/she has black eyes.

This is different from:

• Ha un occhio nero. = He/she has a black eye.

Unless you’re describing someone with heterochromia, in which case you’d specify one eye:

• Ha un occhio nero e uno verde. = He/she has one black eye and one green eye.

Fun fact: Italy’s most common eye color is brown or dark eyes. However, many people have light-colored eyes, especially in northern Italy, the Alpine regions, and around Naples.

Hair colors in Italian

Similar to English, hair colors differ in some cases from the color nouns. In Italian, they are always plural, except when you are talking about one hair.

• Ho i capelli grigi (biondi, rossi, etc.). = I have gray (blond, red, etc.) hair.
• Ho trovato un capello grigio. = I found one/a gray hair.

Italian	Pronunciation	English Translation
bianchi	BYAHN-kee	white
biondi	BYOHN-dee	blond
bruni	BROO-nee	dark brown
castani	kah-STAH-nee	brown
grigi	GREE-jee	gray
neri	NEH-ree	black
rossi	ROHS-see	red

Fun fact: Gray and white hair is often referred to as capelli brizzolati (similar to “grizzled hair”). In more casual language, it’s called capelli sale e pepe (salt and pepper hair), as it resembles the mix of the two spices.

Skin tones in Italian

Describing skin tones involves a combination of colors, intensity (light/dark), and shades (rosy, golden, etc.)

Italian	Pronunciation	English Translation
abbronzata	ahb-bron-ZAH-tah	tanned
ambrata	ahm-BRAH-tah	amber
bianca	BYAHN-kah	white
chiara	KYAH-rah	light
di porcellana	dee pohr-chehl-LAH-nah	of/like porcelain
dorata	doh-RAH-tah	golden (slightly sunkissed)
ebano	EH-bah-noh	ebony
nera	NEH-rah	black
olivastra	oh-lee-VAH-strah	olive
rosata	roh-ZAH-tah	fair, rosy
scura	SKOO-rah	dark

Common Italian expressions using colors

Colors can be more than just colors; they can convey feelings, sensations, and symbolic meanings. For this reason, many Italian expressions use colors figuratively to strengthen a message or even an Italian idiom.

Italian Expression	Italian Example	English Translation
bianco come un cadavere	È diventato bianco come un cadavere.	He turned as white as a corpse.
bianco come un lenzuolo	Dopo aver visto quel film horror, era bianco come un lenzuolo.	After watching that horror movie, he was white as a sheet.
bianco come un morto	Dopo lo spavento, era bianco come un morto.	After the scare, he was as white as a ghost.
essere al verde	Non posso permettermelo, sono al verde.	I can’t afford it, I’m broke (I am in the green).
essere in rosso	Non posso comprare nulla, sono in rosso.	I can’t buy anything, I’m in the red (with the bank).
giallo/nero di rabbia	Era giallo/nero di rabbia quando ha scoperto che gli avevano mentito.	He was yellow/black with rage when he found out they had lied.
passare la notte in bianco	Ho passato la notte in bianco.	I had a sleepless night (I spent the night in the white).
rosso di vergogna	È diventata rossa di vergogna.	She turned red with shame.
vedere rosso	Quando ho sentito la notizia, ho visto rosso.	When I heard the news, I saw red (I was very angry).
verde d’invidia	Luca era verde d’invidia.	Luca was green with envy.

This chart really highlights how important colors are—not just for expressing yourself accurately in Italian, but also for understanding the subtle nuances of Italian thinking and culture.

To truly master Italian conversation, it’s essential to immerse yourself in the language and its cultural context. That’s why an immersive learning method is key. Rosetta Stone‘s Dynamic Immersion method is perfect for this—it helps you learn Italian in a natural, engaging way, with images, live lessons, and a method that mirrors how you learned your first language.