Colour words in Dutch

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zwart - black - sabel (heraldic name)

• Het ziet zwart van de mensen ('The place is black with people'), used when a public area is very crowded.
• zwartkijker ('black-looker') = somebody who always sees the dark side of things (from the verb zwartkijken)
• pikzwart = pitch black.

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wit - white - zilver (heraldic name - silver)

• wit wegtrekken = to become pale (of fear)
• spierwit ('as white as a muscle') = very white.

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rood - red - keel (heraldic name)

• vuurrood ('firy red') = very red (used e.g. when somebody is blushing heavily).

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geel - yellow - goud (heraldic name - gold)

• groen en geel van nijd / jaloezie ('green and yellow with anger / envy')
• groentje ('greenie') = rookie, freshman.

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blauw - blue - azuur, lazuur (heraldic name)

• bont en blauw ('many-coloured and blue') = black and blue, e.g. 'Ik ben bont en blauw geslagen' = I have been beaten up really bad.
• blauwe maandag ('blue Monday'), used in e.g.: 'Ik heb daar wel eens een blauwe maandag gewerkt' = I have had a job there for a very short time.
• Het staat blauw (van de rook) ('The place is blue (with smoke)'), used when e.g. a room is filled up with (cigarette) smoke.

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groen - green - sinopel (heraldic name)

• groen en geel van nijd / jaloezie ('green and yellow with anger / envy')

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bruin - brown

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rose / roze - pink

• een roze bril ophebben ('to wear pink glasses') = to be in love; to see things from a romantic perspective (through rose-tinted spectacles)

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oranje - orange

• appeltjes van oranje ('little apples of orange') = oranges, normally called sinaasappels (< 'China's apples') or appelsienen in the south of the Dutch-speaking area. Amongst others, the term is used in an old Sinterklaas song, and there may be an connection with the Dutch royal family, the 'Oranjes'.

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grijs - grey

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paars / purper (archaic) / violet - purple - purper (heraldic name)

• pimpelpaars ('as purple as a pimple') = very purple.

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lila - lilac

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turquoise

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khaki

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gebroken wit (broken white) - beige

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okergeel, oker - ochre

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aubergine - aubergine / eggplant

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bordeauxrood - burgundy, bordeaux red, maroon

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