Words for colours in Danish (dansk), their meanings and related expressions.
Note: when talking about neuter nouns, you add a t to end of the colour word. For example, Grasset er grønt (The grass is green). With plural nouns you add an e to the end of the colour word, e.g. sorte biler (black cars).
General colour-related words:
sort [soɐ̯d̥] - black, illicit (without incurring taxation)
Etymology: from the Old Norse svartr (black), from the Proto-Germanic *swartaz (black), from Proto-Indo-European *swordo- (dirty, dark, black).
Expressions:
hvid [viðˀ] - white, blank
Etymology: from the Old Norse hvítr (white), from the Proto-Germanic *hwītaz (white), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱweytós (bright, white).
Expressions:
rød [ʁœ̞ðˀ] - red, blushing
Etymology: from the Old Norse rauðr (red), from the Proto-Germanic *raudaz (red), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁rewdʰ- (red).
Expressions:
gul [ɡ̊uːˀl] - yellow
Etymology: from the Old Norse gulr (yellow), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰelh₃- (to flourish, green, yellow).
Expressions:
blå [b̥lɔːˀ] - blue
Etymology: from the Old Norse blár (blue), from the Proto-Germanic *blēwaz (blue). from Proto-Indo-European *bʰleh₁-. (blue, dark blue, grey, black).
Expressions:
grøn [ɡ̊ʁɶnˀ] - green
Etymology: from the Old Norse grœnn (green, fresh), from the Proto-Germanic *grōniz (green). from Proto-Indo-European *gʰreh₁- (to grow, become green).
Expressions:
brun [b̥ʁuːˀn] - brown
Etymology: from the Old Norse brúnn (brown, bright [metal]), from the Proto-Germanic *brūnaz (grey, brown). from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerH- (grey, brown).
Expressions:
lyserød [ˈlysəʁœ̞ðˀ] / pink - pink
orange [oˈʁɑŋɕə] - orange
grå [gʁɔːˀ] - grey, deal, dismal, drab, dull, gloomy, leaden, mousy, sullen
Etymology: from the Old Norse grár (grey), from the Proto-Germanic *grēwaz (grey). from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰreh₁- (to grow, become green).
Expressions:
lilla [ˈlela] = purple, mauve, lilac
Etymology: from the French lilas (lilac).
Hear some Danish words for colours:
Information about colours in Danish
https://www.speaklanguages.com/danish/vocab/colours
https://ielanguages.com/danish-colors.html
Etymologies from: Wiktionary
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