azul
/ah-SOOL (Latin America) / ah-THOOL (Spain)/
blue
As an adjective, 'azul' describes the color of the blue whale.
📝 In Action
El mar Caribe es de un color azul turquesa impresionante.
A2The Caribbean Sea is an impressive turquoise blue color.
Necesito comprar una camisa azul para la fiesta de mañana.
A1I need to buy a blue shirt for tomorrow's party.
Las flores azules de mi jardín son las favoritas de mi madre.
A1The blue flowers in my garden are my mother's favorite.
💡 Grammar Points
Gender is Invariable!
Unlike most Spanish adjectives, 'azul' looks exactly the same whether describing a masculine word (el coche azul) or a feminine word (la casa azul).
Making it Plural
To describe more than one item, you add -es to make it 'azules' (e.g., Las luces azules están encendidas).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Treating it like a regular adjective
Mistake: "El mar azula. / La bandera azulá."
Correction: The adjective 'azul' never changes its ending to -o or -a to match the noun's gender. It is always 'azul': 'El coche azul' and 'La mesa azul.'
⭐ Usage Tips
Placement
'Azul' is almost always placed after the noun it describes: 'El vestido azul' (The blue dress).
As a noun, 'azul' refers to the color blue itself.
📝 In Action
Mi color favorito es el azul, específicamente el azul marino.
A2My favorite color is blue, specifically navy blue.
Ella pintó las paredes de un azul muy brillante.
B1She painted the walls a very bright blue.
💡 Grammar Points
Colors as Nouns
When referring to colors as things or concepts, they are always treated as masculine nouns, so you always use 'el': 'El azul es un color frío.'
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: azul
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence correctly uses 'azul' to describe the item?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Does 'azul' ever change its ending to -a or -o?
No. 'Azul' is one of the adjectives that is 'invariable' for gender, meaning it always keeps the -ul ending whether the word it describes is masculine or feminine (e.g., 'el libro azul', 'la pluma azul').
Why do Spanish speakers use 'el azul' when talking about the color?
When we talk about colors in general (like saying 'Blue is a cool color'), we treat the color as a masculine object or concept. This means it always needs the masculine article 'el' in front of it.