black
gb/blˈæk/ us/blˈæk/
A1
English
~ 600
fekete, afrikai származású, gyászos, komor, befeketít, elfeketít
A1
1
fekete
A1
Usage pattern:
[something] is black
She wore a black dress to the party.
Fekete ruhát viselt a buliban.
The cat's fur was completely black.
A macska bundája teljesen fekete volt.
The sky turned black before the storm began.
He painted the door black to match the shutters.
Learner examples
My bag is black.
A táskám fekete.
The car is black.
Az autó fekete.
I have a black shirt.
The night is black.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'black' with 'dark', but 'dark' can describe any color or low light, not just pure black.
Meaning
Having the darkest color
Collocations
black hair
|black clothes
|black shoes
|black sky
Synonyms
dark (Less specific; refers to low light or deep colors, not always pure black.)
Antonyms
white (The lightest color, reflecting almost all light.)
Themes
colors
|visual
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Being the darkest color, like the night when there is no light.
Having the color that is the darkest, resulting from the complete absorption of light and reflecting none.
NOUN
A1
2
fekete
A2
Usage pattern:
[something] is in black
Black is my favorite color.
A fekete a kedvenc színem.
The painting uses a lot of black to create contrast.
A festmény sok feketét használ a kontraszt megteremtéséhez.
He always dresses in black.
Learner examples
Black is my favorite color.
A fekete a kedvenc színem.
I see black on the paper.
Feketét látok a papíron.
She wears black.
Meaning
The darkest color
Collocations
in black
|black and white
|shades of black
Synonyms
darkness (Refers to lack of light in general, not necessarily the color.)
Antonyms
white (The opposite color, reflecting most light.)
Themes
colors
|visual
|core_vocabulary
Definition
The darkest color, made when there is no light.
The color resulting from the complete absorption of light, without reflection; the opposite of white.
B1
3
fekete
B1
Usage pattern:
[someone] is Black
She is a Black woman working in technology.
Egy technológiai területen dolgozó fekete nő.
Black culture has influenced music around the world.
A fekete kultúra világszerte hatott a zenére.
The museum has an exhibit on Black history.
Learner examples
He is a Black man.
Ő egy fekete férfi.
Black people live here.
Itt fekete emberek élnek.
I read about Black history.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'Black' (capitalized for ethnicity) with 'black' (color). Capitalization matters in formal writing when referring to ethnicity.
Meaning
Relating to people of African descent
Collocations
Black community
|Black culture
|Black history
Synonyms
African American (Commonly used in the US for Americans of African descent; more specific to nationality.)
Antonyms
white (Describing people with light skin, usually of European descent.)
Themes
people
|identity
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Describing a person with dark skin, especially from Africa or with African family history.
Relating to or describing people with dark skin, especially of African heritage.
B2
4
Usage pattern:
a black [event/day/time]
It was a black day for the company when it closed its doors.
Gyászos nap volt a cég számára, amikor bezárta a kapuit.
She has been in a black mood all week.
Egész héten komor hangulatban volt.
History remembers it as one of the nation's blackest hours.
Learner examples
It was a black day for us.
Gyászos nap volt számunkra.
He is in a black mood today.
Ma komor hangulatban van.
That was a black time in my life.
Meaning
Associated with mourning or sadness
Collocations
black mood
|black day
|black thoughts
Synonyms
gloomy (General low mood; not necessarily connected to death or mourning.)
Antonyms
joyful (Full of happiness and positive feelings.)
Themes
emotions
|culture
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Connected with feeling sad or remembering someone who died.
Associated with sadness, mourning, or tragedy.
VERB
B2
5
Usage pattern:
to black [something]
Smoke had blacked the walls of the room.
A füst befeketítette a szoba falait.
They blacked their faces for camouflage at night.
Éjszaka álcázás céljából befeketítették az arcukat.
The artist blacked the canvas before starting the painting.
Learner examples
I will black my shoes.
Befeketítem a cipőmet.
The fire blacked the pot.
A tűz befeketítette a fazekat.
They blacked the wall.
Meaning
To make something dark in color
Collocations
black shoes
|black tires
Synonyms
darken (Make darker but not necessarily fully black.)
Antonyms
whiten (Make something white in color.)
Themes
colors
|art
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To change something so its color becomes black.
To make something become black in color, either by painting, burning, or staining it.
Grammar
Dictionary form
black
IPA
GB/blˈæk/
US/blˈæk/
Syllables & stress
black (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (black)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: black
- Comparative: blacker
- Superlative: blackest
Noun
- Base: black
- Plural: black, blacks
Verb
- Base: black
- 3rd Person Singular: blacks
- Present Participle: blacking
- Past: blacked
Word family
Forms
blacks
noun
blacking
verb
blacked
verb
blacker
adjective
blackest
adjective
Core family
blacken
verb
blackness
noun
Related words
blackish
adjective
Negative and opposite forms
white
adjective A1
Advanced or less common
blackly
adverb
Expressions
black and white
1/blˈæk ˈænd wˈaɪt/
fixed phrase
Only two opposite colors present
Only using the colors black and white, with no other colors.
Examples
- The old movie was filmed in black and white.
- She prefers black-and-white photography for its classic look.
black market
1/blˈæk mˈɑɹkɪt/
fixed phrase
Illegal trade system for goods/services
A place or system where people buy and sell things illegally.
Examples
- They bought foreign currency on the black market.
- The police are cracking down on the black market for stolen electronics.
black out
1/blˈæk ˈaʊt/
phrasal verb
Lose consciousness or memory suddenly
To suddenly faint or not remember what happened for a short time.
Examples
- He blacked out after hitting his head on the doorframe.
- She sometimes blacks out when she stands up too quickly.
in the black
1/ˈɪn ðə blˈæk/
idiom
Financially profitable or solvent
Having more money than you owe; making a profit.
Examples
- After a tough year, the company is finally in the black again.
- Small businesses struggle to stay in the black during economic downturns.
black sheep (of the family)
1/blˈæk ʃˈip əv ðə fˈæmɪli/
idiom
informal
Family member who is an outcast or disgrace
A person who is very different from others in their family and seen as bad or causing shame.
Examples
- He's always been the black sheep of the family because he refused to join the family business.
- In school, she felt like the black sheep among her classmates.
black sheep (of the family)
2/blˈæk ʃˈip əv ðə fˈæmɪli/
idiom
Outcast or disreputable family member
A person in a family or group who is different in a bad way or causes shame.
Examples
- He's the black sheep of the family because he refuses to work.
- She felt like the black sheep among her friends.