Colors in English

The description of the subject in English, as in other and in any other, will be more complete and harmonious if it contains its color characteristics. Whatever the person says - about clothing, home, work or the environment - he always uses the name of the flowers. This helps the interlocutor to more clearly understand and comprehend information about the subject of the conversation. In fact, there is color for everything (maybe, except for air and any transparent objects). Colors in English are a whole group of lexical units. In fact, the basic colors are few, like in Russian, but in English speech there is simply an incredible amount of tones, halftones and shades.

Everyone who has even learned a little English knows the translation of the primary colors: red - red, blue or blue - blue, white and black - white and black, green - green, and, of course, gray, yellow and brown - gray, yellow and brown, respectively. Very often in English you can hear the use of words orange (orange), light green (light green) and violet (violet).

Of course, the colors in English are not limited to these words.

If a person, describing something, wants to show that the color is more saturated than usual or, conversely, dimmer, in Russian it uses prefixes light or dark, and then adds the name of the primary color. English is not an exception. Analogues here will be the words light- (light), pale- (pale-), dark- or deep- (dark). For example: light-green or deep-brown.

By the way, some colors in English, or rather their shades, can have a certain word for the desired color solution. So, dark red and dark yellow, instead of deep-red and dark-yellow, can be expressed in words crimson and tawny; Light orange - the word orangey, light green - chlorine, light yellow - fallow.

In addition to words that transmit colors in English, there are many idioms with the use of such words. They are very common among native speakers, so some such expressions are studied in schools. Knowing them will not hurt, because when communicating with a foreigner who uses them, there may be some difficulties in understanding. All the phrase has a completely new meaning, where the color as such should not be translated into the native language. Here are some examples:

- to talk a blue streak - to chatter without stopping;

- out of the blue - unexpectedly, like snow on the head;

- once in a blue moon - rarely, every five years;

- to be in red - to be in debt;

- to catch smb red-handed - catch on hot.

Color associations for native English speakers

It's no secret that color is always associated with something. One must be extremely cautious when choosing a color solution for clothing abroad, and also using their names in speech. Colors in English are understood differently by the speakers of this foreign language, depending on the country in which they live.

Red is the color of danger. It is used in an expression used to warn about a threat (red alert), and is also used to describe something that is infuriating when something is affecting a person like red rag on a bull. It is believed that red is the most emotional. He is associated with blood, and with love, and with passion, and with shame.

Green represents nature. He protects her in expressing the green belt (the territory outside the city where forests and fields are sheltered and houses are prohibited), and is also a member of the Green Party, which raises green issues and defends its rights. Green color protects the human body, which chooses to feed green products. In describing people who are keen on gardening, the British use the expression green fingers, Americans - green thumb.

Both in England and in America, blue is associated with sailors and policemen - nave blue. If a person is too cold, he is blue with cold, and people belonging to the royal family are blue-blooded.

Black is the most popular color for Americans and Britons, especially in clothes. Who has not heard of the famous little black dress? If there is a person in the family who is different from other members of the family, he is a black sheep, and if you are also angry with him, because of his behavior, you are likely to overlook him with a strict and condemning black look.

Classic white is a popular office color, so office workers are called white-collar. If a person is sick, his face turns pale, and it can easily be described by the phrase white as a sheet; If you do not want to offend the poor fellow, and embellish reality, such a lie will be called white lie. A very interesting expression is used to describe a very expensive thing that was purchased, but never put on and used. This is a white elephant.

As you can see, all colors in English have their own peculiarities. All words that convey colors do not need to be known, it is sufficient to be able to use the basic lexical units from this area in the speech and be able to make shades and semitones from them. Good luck in learning English!