gris
/grees/
gray
Gris means gray, describing the color.
📝 In Action
Mi coche nuevo es de color gris oscuro.
A1My new car is dark gray.
En un día nublado, el cielo se ve gris.
A1On a cloudy day, the sky looks gray.
💡 Grammar Points
Gender is Invariable
Unlike most Spanish adjectives, 'gris' is special: it doesn't change its ending for masculine or feminine. It is always 'gris' (e.g., 'el coche gris', 'la pared gris').
Plural Form
To describe more than one thing, you add '-es': 'los días grises' (the gray days).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Creating a Feminine Form
Mistake: "La casa es grisa."
Correction: La casa es gris. (Never add an 'a' to the end of gris.)
⭐ Usage Tips
Describing Weather
It's very common to use 'gris' to describe the weather: 'Hace un día gris' (It's a gray day).
When describing a mood or atmosphere, gris can mean gloomy.
gris(adjective)
gloomy
?mood or atmosphere
,dull
?a boring or monotonous life/situation
sad
?feeling
,colorless
?lacking excitement
📝 In Action
Últimamente, su vida se ha vuelto muy gris.
B2Lately, his life has become very dull/monotonous.
Tras la derrota, el ambiente en el vestuario era gris.
C1After the defeat, the atmosphere in the locker room was gloomy.
⭐ Usage Tips
Metaphorical Use
Use 'gris' to talk about a lack of energy, excitement, or happiness, similar to how you would use 'gray' or 'blue' in English to describe a mood.
As a noun, gris refers to the color gray.
📝 In Action
El gris combina muy bien con el azul.
A1Gray combines very well with blue.
Pintaron la sala en un gris muy elegante.
A2They painted the living room in a very elegant gray.
💡 Grammar Points
Always Masculine
When 'gris' is used as a noun (the name of the color), it is always treated as masculine: 'el gris', never 'la gris'.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: gris
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'gris' to describe more than one feminine noun?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I say 'light gray' or 'dark gray'?
You simply add 'claro' (light) or 'oscuro' (dark) after the word: 'gris claro' or 'gris oscuro'. Remember that 'claro' and 'oscuro' must agree in number with the noun they describe, but 'gris' stays 'gris'!
Can 'gris' describe a person?
Yes, but usually in a figurative sense (Definition 2). Saying someone is 'gris' means they are dull, boring, or lacking personality, not usually referring to their literal skin or hair color.