Want to make your Portuguese more vivid? Today we’ll learn the most common colors and basic adjectives you can use every day—plus how to place them in a sentence, make them agree, and use the verb “ser” to describe things naturally. By the end, you’ll be ready to say “a camisa azul”, “um carro barato”, and much more.

Core colors you’ll actually use

Here are the colors you’ll see everywhere. Notice which ones change for gender and number.

• vermelho/vermelha — red
• azul — blue (same for masculine and feminine; plural: azuis)
• amarelo/amarela — yellow
• verde — green (same for masculine and feminine; plural: verdes)
• preto/preta — black
• branco/branca — white
• roxo/roxa — purple
• rosa — pink (invariable: stays “rosa”)
• laranja — orange (invariable)
• marrom — brown (same for masculine and feminine; plural: marrons)

In Portuguese, color adjectives usually come after the noun: “camisa azul”, “carro vermelho”, “flores amarelas”.

Quick examples

Let’s see colors in simple sentences.

Try a few forms of agreement with colors. Pay attention to gender and number.

As casas são .

O vestido é .

Os olhos são .

Basic adjectives for describing things

Beyond colors, here are super useful adjectives for everyday talk. These also usually come after the noun and agree when they end in -o/-a.

• grande — big (same for masculine/feminine; plural: grandes)
• pequeno/pequena — small
• novo/nova — new
• velho/velha — old
• bonito/bonita — pretty
• feio/feia — ugly
• caro/cara — expensive
• barato/barata — cheap

Examples:

Use “ser” to describe permanent characteristics

To talk about the typical color or a general characteristic, use the verb “ser” (to be) in the present.

Examples with “ser”:

• A bandeira do Brasil é verde e amarela.
• Meus tênis são azuis.
• O sofá é velho, mas é confortável.

Now practice word order and agreement.

Quick check: do you remember the meanings?

Little cultural notes you’ll hear in real life

Put it into a real conversation

Reorder the lines to make a natural store interaction.

Great! Now fine-tune a couple of common mistakes.

*azul camisa* → camisa azul Color adjectives usually follow the noun in Portuguese. as bolsas barato → as bolsas baratas Adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun.

Short practice burst

Fill in with the correct adjective form.

A mesa é . (big)

Os ônibus são . (old)

As blusas são . (cheap)

And build a sentence with color + adjective:

Wrap-up

• Colors: vermelho/a, azul, amarelo/a, verde, preto/a, branco/a, roxo/a, rosa (inv.), laranja (inv.), marrom (pl. marrons)
• Placement: noun + color adjective (sapatos pretos, bolsa branca)
• Agreement: vermelho → vermelha/vermelhos/vermelhas; azul → azuis (plural)
• Verb: use “ser” for typical color and general characteristics (A casa é branca. Os carros são caros.)

Keep practicing by describing 5 things around you now: color + one basic adjective.

• Ex.: “A xícara é branca e pequena.” “Meu celular é preto e novo.”

You’ve added a splash of color to your Portuguese—boa prática!