lila
/ˈliːla/
In German, lila means lilac, a pale shade of purple.
The term lila refers to a light, pastel purple color. You can further specify the shade by using helllila for light lilac or dunkellila for dark lilac.
Which one should you use?
While lila describes a lighter, pastel shade, the word violett is used to describe a deeper and more saturated purple or violet color.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you use the word as a descriptive adjective directly before a noun, it often takes the suffix -farben to become lilafarbene (lilac-colored).
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈliːla/
Did you know?
- In standard German grammar, most adjectives change their endings to match the noun they describe, but lila is an uninflected adjective. This means it often remains lila regardless of the gender or case of the noun it modifies.
- While lila describes the color, if you want to talk about the literal plant, you must use the word Flieder.
- The word lila is actually a shortened version of the French word lilas, which refers to the lilac flower itself.
Examples in context
- Die Wand hat einen schönen Fliederton.The wall has a beautiful lilac hue.
- Das Kleid hat einen lila Farbton und sieht sehr elegant aus.The dress has a shade of lilac and looks very elegant.
- Das Kleid ist lila.The dress is lilac.
- Ich mag die lila Blumen.I like the lilac flowers.
- Sie trägt eine lila Bluse.She is wearing a lilac blouse.
Example conversation
Sarah and Lukas are looking at clothes in a shop.
- SarahWie findest du das lila T-Shirt?How do you like the lilac t-shirt?
- LukasEs sieht gut aus, Sarah.It looks good, Sarah.
- SarahIst die Farbe zu hell?Is the color too light?
- LukasNein, das Lila passt perfekt.No, the lilac is perfect.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry lila, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries lila, CC BY-SA 4.0.
