Inklingo

How to Say "green" in Spanish

English → Spanish

verde

BEHR-dehˈbeɾðe

AdjectiveA1general
Use 'verde' when referring to the color green, or for things that are literally green in color.
A bright green apple sitting on a white surface.

Examples

Mi coche nuevo es de color verde brillante.

My new car is a bright green color.

Ella siempre lleva ropa verde.

She always wears green clothes.

Necesitamos tomar decisiones más verdes para el planeta.

We need to make more green (environmental) decisions for the planet.

Me gusta más el verde que el amarillo para pintar la sala.

I like green more than yellow for painting the living room.

Adjective Agreement

As an adjective, 'verde' must match the noun it describes. Luckily, it only changes form for singular ('verde') and plural ('verdes'), regardless of whether the noun is masculine or feminine.

Colors as Nouns

When you use a color word by itself as a noun (meaning 'the color'), it is always treated as masculine, regardless of whether it describes a feminine object later.

Gender Confusion

Mistake: “La verde es mi favorito.”

Correction: El verde es mi favorito. (Because the color itself is always masculine when used as a noun.)

verde

NounA2general
Use 'verde' as a noun when referring to the color green itself, for example, when choosing paint colors.

Examples

Me gusta más el verde que el amarillo para pintar la sala.

I like green more than yellow for painting the living room.

ecológico

AdjectiveA2general
Use 'ecológico' when 'green' means environmentally friendly or eco-conscious.

Examples

Mi primo se compró un coche ecológico.

My cousin bought an eco-friendly car.

inmaduro

een-mah-DOO-rohinmaˈðuɾo

AdjectiveA2general
Use 'inmaduro' when 'green' refers to something, like fruit, that is not ripe or ready to eat.
A green, hard banana on a simple background.

Examples

No comas el plátano, todavía está inmaduro.

Don't eat the banana, it is still unripe.

Las manzanas inmaduras son muy ácidas.

Unripe apples are very sour.

Cosecharon el trigo cuando aún estaba inmaduro.

They harvested the wheat when it was still green.

Matching Gender

If you are describing something feminine, like 'la fruta', change the ending to 'a': 'la fruta inmadura'.

Using 'Estar'

When talking about fruit being unripe, we use the verb 'estar' because ripeness is a temporary state that changes over time.

Using 'ser' for fruit

Mistake: “La manzana es inmadura.”

Correction: La manzana está inmadura. Use 'estar' because the fruit will eventually ripen; it's a current condition, not a permanent trait.

hoyo

OH-yohˈo.ʝo

NounB1sports
Use 'hoyo' only in the specific context of golf, referring to the hole on the green where the ball goes.
A white golf ball resting inside the golf cup on a bright green putting green, marked by a flagstick.

Examples

Hizo un 'hole in one' en el hoyo 18.

He got a 'hole in one' on the 18th hole.

Solo nos quedan tres hoyos para terminar el partido.

We only have three holes left to finish the game.

Color vs. Environmentally Friendly

The most common mistake is using 'verde' when you mean 'environmentally friendly'. Remember, 'verde' is primarily for the color, while 'ecológico' specifically refers to being eco-conscious or good for the environment.

Related Translations

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