color
gb/kˈʌlɚ/ us/kˈʌlɚ/
A1
Kiingereza
~ 700
Maana
maana 0
Nomino
A1
property
1
visual appearance from reflected light
How something looks because of the light it reflects, like red, blue, or green.
Muundo wa matumizi:
the color of [something]
Kosa la kawaida:
Learners sometimes confuse 'color' with 'paint' when describing objects; 'color' is the visual property, not the substance applied.
Visawe
hue (More technical or artistic term for a specific shade or tint of color.)
Vinyume
colorlessness (Describes the absence of any color, appearing transparent or white.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
bright color
|change color
|favorite color
|color scheme
|color palette
Mada
art
|daily life
|science
|core_vocabulary
Mifano
- The color of the sky changes throughout the day.
- She painted her room a soft blue color.
- This dress comes in several different colors.
- The leaves turn a beautiful red color in autumn.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- My favorite color is green.
- The car is blue.
- I like the color of your shirt.
- The apple is red.
Kitenzi
A1
action
2
apply pigment to something
To make something have color by using paint, pencils, or other materials.
Muundo wa matumizi:
to color [something]
Kosa la kawaida:
Learners may confuse 'color' with 'draw'; 'draw' means to make lines or shapes, while 'color' means to fill them in with pigment.
Visawe
paint (Often used for applying liquid pigment to surfaces; more specific than 'color'.)
Vinyume
bleach (To remove color from something, often making it white.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
color a picture
|color the walls
|color the drawing
Mada
art
|daily life
|arts_entertainment
|daily_life
Mifano
- The children colored pictures in their books.
- She spent the afternoon coloring a beautiful landscape.
- He colored the poster with bright markers.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- I color my drawing with red.
- She colors the picture.
- We color the paper.
Nomino
B1
entity
3
race or skin pigmentation
The shade of a person's skin, often linked to race.
Kosa la kawaida:
Learners may incorrectly use 'color' for hair or eye description in this sense; here it refers to skin and race.
Visawe
ethnicity (Refers to cultural origin rather than just skin pigmentation.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
people of color
Mada
society
|relationships
|body
Mifano
- People of all colors attended the festival.
- The law prohibits discrimination based on color.
- She is proud of her color and heritage.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- People have different colors of skin.
- We must not judge people by their color.
- The law says no one can be treated badly because of their color.
Nomino
B2
entity
4
added vividness or interest
Something that makes a story, event, or person more interesting or lively.
Kosa la kawaida:
Learners may misinterpret this figurative sense as literal visual color.
Visawe
flavor (Metaphorical use meaning added distinctive quality or interest.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
add color to [something]
Mada
communication
|arts_entertainment
Mifano
- His travel stories added a lot of color to the evening.
- The reporter's descriptions brought color to the otherwise dull account.
- She adds color to our meetings with her jokes.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- Her story has much color.
- He adds color to the talk.
- The news has no color.
Sarufi
Umbo la kamusi
color
IPA
GB/kˈʌlɚ/
US/kˈʌlɚ/
Silabi na mkazo
col - or (silabi 2)
Stress on 1st syllable (col)
Maumbo ya neno
Noun
- Base: color
- Variant Spelling: colour
- Plural: color, colors
Verb
- Base: color
- Variant Spelling: colour
- 3rd Person Singular: colors
- Present Participle: coloring
- Past: colored
Familia ya neno
Core family
colorful
adjective A2
Related words
colorize
verb
Negative and opposite forms
colorless
adjective
discolor
verb
Advanced or less common
coloration
noun
colorist
noun
Vidokezo muhimu
- Spelling Variant: colour Verb
- Spelling Variant: colour Noun
Semi
color someone’s judgment
1/kˈʌlɚ sˈʌmwˌʌnz d͡ʒˈʌd͡ʒmənt/
fixed phrase
influence opinion in biased way
To make someone’s opinion less fair because of feelings or experiences.
Mifano
- Her bad experience colored her judgment about the new restaurant.
- Personal feelings can easily color your judgment at work.
in color
1/ˈɪn kˈʌlɚ/
fixed phrase
shown in natural colors
Shown with real-life colors instead of just black and white.
Mifano
- The movie is now available in color.
- I prefer watching old shows in color rather than black and white.
show one’s true colors
1/ʃˈoʊ wˈʌnz tɹˈu kˈʌlɚz/
idiom
reveal real character or intentions
To show what you are really like or what you really think.
Mifano
- He showed his true colors when he refused to help his friend.
- She finally showed her true colors and admitted she didn’t care about the project.
see red
1/sˈi ɹˈɛd/
idiom
informal
become suddenly angry
To suddenly feel very angry.
Mifano
- He saw red when he found out they had lied to him.
- I see red every time someone cuts me off in traffic.
see red
2/sˈi ɹˈɛd/
idiom
informal
Become suddenly very angry
To suddenly become very angry.
Mifano
- I see red when people litter in the park.
- He saw red when he found out someone scratched his car.