hellblau
/ˈhɛlˌblaʊ̯/
The English phrase light blue is hellblau in German.
hellblau refers to a pale blue colour, such as sky blue. If you want to specifically say baby blue, you can use Babyblau.
Meaning: a pale blue colour: sky blue or similar (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word hellblau is a compound of hell, meaning light or bright and blau, meaning blue.
Which one should you use?
hellblau is the direct antonym of dunkelblau, which means dark blue.
How does it change in a sentence?
When used as a predicate adjective, such as in 'The car is light blue', hellblau remains uninflected. However, when used as an attributive adjective before a noun, such as 'the light blue car', the word must take an adjective ending based on the gender, case and article of the noun (e.g., hellblauen).
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈhɛlˌblaʊ̯/
Did you know?
- In German, the word blau is used in the idiom blau machen to describe skipping school or work without a valid reason.
- The word blau is used in the phrase blau sein to describe someone who is intoxicated or drunk.
- Be careful when pronouncing hellblau, as the first part hell means 'bright' but is also the German word for 'hell'.
Examples in context
- Der Himmel ist hellblau.The sky is light blue.This sentence is useful for describing the colour of the sky using hellblau.Tatoeba #10039751 by Yorwba, translation #10540377 by sundown
- Meine Jacke ist hellblau.My jacket is light blue.This sentence is useful for describing the colour of a jacket using hellblau.Tatoeba #8643176 by Melang, translation #13760858 by araneo
- Das Firmenlogo ist hellblau.The company logo is light blue.This sentence is useful for describing a company logo using hellblau.Tatoeba #8653734 by Melang, translation #8960668 by sundown
- Das hellblaue Kleid.The light blue dress.
- Der hellblaue Himmel macht mich glücklich.The light blue sky makes me happy.
- 25 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lukas and Julia are choosing a new color for a wall.
- LukasWelche Farbe findest du besser?Which color do you prefer?
- JuliaIch finde hellblau sehr schön.I think light blue is very beautiful.
- LukasIst hellblau nicht zu hell?Isn't light blue too bright?
- JuliaNein, es wirkt sehr beruhigend.No, it feels very calming.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “light blue” translations and entries hellblau, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
