grau
/ɡʁaʊ̯/
The German word for gray is grau.
grau is an adjective used to describe a color between white and black, such as the color of cinders. Related forms include the noun Grau, which refers to the color itself and the verbs ergrauen or grau werden, which mean to become gray.
Meaning: of a color somewhere between white and black, like cinders (adj)
Which one should you use?
The noun Grau is capitalized, whereas the adjective grau is not.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, grau changes its ending based on the gender and case of the noun it precedes. For a masculine noun in the nominative case, use grauer. For a masculine noun in the accusative case, use grauen. For a feminine noun in the nominative or accusative case, use graue. For a neuter noun in the nominative or accusative case, use graues.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɡʁaʊ̯/
Did you know?
- In German, the word grauen is also a verb meaning 'to shudder' or 'to be horrified', which is linguistically distinct from the color grau.
- The term graue Theorie refers to knowledge that is purely academic or theoretical and lacks practical application in the real world.
- The English word 'gray' and the German word grau are essentially siblings, sharing the same ancient Proto-West Germanic ancestor.
Examples in context
- Ihr Haar wird grau.Her hair is turning gray.This sentence shows the verb 'werden' used with grau to describe hair changing color.Tatoeba #1506091 by samueldora, translation #309640 by CK
- Hat er graues Haar?Does he have gray hair?This sentence shows the adjective form graues used before a neuter noun.Tatoeba #2506113 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #2505857 by Hybrid
- Mein Anzug ist grau.My suit is gray.This sentence shows the adjective grau used after a verb to describe a noun.Tatoeba #657416 by Zaghawa, translation #456473 by lukaszpp
- Die Wand ist grau gestrichen.The wall is painted gray.
- Ihre Haare sind silbergrau.Her hair is silver-gray.
- Das ist ein graues T-Shirt.That is a gray t-shirt.
- 72 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hannah and Lukas are looking at paint samples in a hardware store.
- HannahIst dieses Grau zu dunkel?Is this gray too dark?
- LukasNein, ich finde es sehr schön.No, I think it is very beautiful.
- HannahVielleicht passt ein helleres Grau besser.Maybe a lighter gray fits better.
- LukasDas stimmt, lass uns das mal testen.That's true, let's test that.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “gray” translations and entries grau, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries grau, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
