Lesson 9 – Colors and Basic Descriptions
Unit 1: Bienvenidos | Unit Overview | Course Home
Review Flash
(5 minutes — say the Spanish before looking)
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| What time is it? | ¿Qué hora es? |
| It is 2:00 | Son las dos. |
| in the morning | de la mañana |
| on time | a tiempo |
| at what time? | ¿A qué hora? |
Lesson Goals
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Name the most common colors in Spanish
- Use basic adjectives: big, small, new, old, beautiful, good, bad
- Make adjectives agree with the nouns they describe
- Use descriptions to identify objects and people
New Vocabulary: Colors
| Spanish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| rojo / roja | ROH-hoh / ROH-hah | red |
| azul | ah-SOOL | blue |
| verde | BEHR-deh | green |
| amarillo / amarilla | ah-mah-REE-yoh / -yah | yellow |
| anaranjado / anaranjada | ah-nah-rahn-HAH-doh / -dah | orange |
| morado / morada | moh-RAH-doh / -dah | purple |
| rosado / rosada | roh-SAH-doh / -dah | pink |
| blanco / blanca | BLAHN-koh / -kah | white |
| negro / negra | NEH-groh / -grah | black |
| gris | grees | gray |
| café / marrón | kah-FEH / mah-ROHN | brown |
| dorado / dorado | doh-RAH-doh | golden / gold |
New Vocabulary: Basic Adjectives
| Spanish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| grande | GRAHN-deh | big / large |
| pequeño / pequeña | peh-KEH-nyoh / -nyah | small |
| nuevo / nueva | NWEH-voh / -vah | new |
| viejo / vieja | BYEH-hoh / -hah | old |
| bonito / bonita | boh-NEE-toh / -tah | pretty / beautiful |
| feo / fea | FEH-oh / -ah | ugly |
| bueno / buena | BWEH-noh / -nah | good |
| malo / mala | MAH-loh / -lah | bad |
| limpio / limpia | LEEM-pyoh / -pyah | clean |
| sucio / sucia | SOO-syoh / -syah | dirty |
| lleno / llena | YEH-noh / -nah | full |
| vacío / vacía | vah-SEE-oh / -ah | empty |
Grammar Focus: Adjective Agreement
In Spanish, adjectives must agree with the noun they describe in gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural).
Gender:
- Masculine nouns use adjectives ending in -o: el libro rojo (the red book)
- Feminine nouns use adjectives ending in -a: la camisa roja (the red shirt)
- Some adjectives (like verde, azul, grande) don’t change for gender: el carro verde / la casa verde
Number:
- Singular → Plural: add -s to vowel endings, -es to consonant endings
- rojo → rojos, verde → verdes, azul → azules
Position: In Spanish, adjectives most often come after the noun (unlike English where they come before):
- English: the red house → Spanish: la casa roja
- English: a big church → Spanish: una iglesia grande
Exceptions to position
A few common adjectives often come before the noun: buen (good), gran (great), nuevo (new when emphasizing newness). But for now, default to placing adjectives after nouns and you’ll be correct most of the time.
Story: Describiendo el Pueblo (Describing the Town)
Sara escribe una carta a su familia en los Estados Unidos.
“Querida familia: El pueblo es pequeño pero muy bonito. Las casas son de colores — rosas, amarillas, azules y verdes. La iglesia tiene una puerta vieja de madera café, pero por dentro es limpia y grande. El pastor tiene una Biblia negra muy grande. Los niños llevan uniformes azules y blancos para la escuela. El mercado está lleno de frutas y verduras de muchos colores. Extraño el café negro americano, pero el café local es muy bueno también. ¡Todo aquí es diferente pero hermoso! Con amor, Sara.”
(Dear family: The town is small but very beautiful. The houses are colorful — pink, yellow, blue, and green. The church has an old wooden brown door, but inside it is clean and large… I miss American black coffee, but the local coffee is very good too. Everything here is different but beautiful! With love, Sara.)
Comprehension Check:
- ¿Cómo es el pueblo? (What is the town like?)
- ¿De qué color son los uniformes de los niños? (What color are the children’s uniforms?)
- ¿Cómo es la iglesia por dentro? (What is the church like inside?)
¡Practícalo! (Speaking Practice)
Describe three objects around you right now using Spanish:
- El _____ es/son _____. (The _____ is/are _____.)
- Example: La mesa es grande y café. (The table is big and brown.)
Then describe the church or gathering space you imagine serving in on your mission trip — at least five sentences using adjectives from this lesson.
Cultural Note
Color in Latin American culture: Color is expressive and celebratory across Latin America. Homes are often painted in vivid blues, yellows, and pinks rather than the neutral tones common in the United States. Churches may be decorated with bright fabrics and flowers. Embracing this vibrancy rather than mentally comparing it to home aesthetic preferences will help you receive the beauty that is genuinely there. Hermoso (beautiful) is a generous word — use it freely.
Oración
“Consideren las flores del campo, cómo crecen.” (Consider the flowers of the field, how they grow.) — Mateo 6:28
The colors around you are a gift. Todo es hermoso en su tiempo. (Everything is beautiful in its time.) — Eclesiastés 3:11
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