Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| naranja | /naˈɾanxa/ | feminine |
| china | /ˈt͡ʃina/ | Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, feminine |
The most common and general term for orange in Spanish is naranja. You can also use naranja to describe the color. To be even more specific when referring to the color, you can use the phrase color anaranjado.
Which one should you use?
While naranja is the standard word for the fruit, china is used specifically in the Caribbean to refer to the fruit.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, china is a feminine noun used to refer to the orange. In some Latin American countries, like Mexico, china is a common informal word used to refer to an orange, particularly the fruit.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Because naranja is a feminine noun, its plural form naranjas must be used with the feminine article las (las naranjas). To say 'orange juice', use the phrase jugo de naranja.
How do you pronounce it?
/naˈɾanxa/
Did you know?
- In some regions, the word china used for the fruit might actually be a borrowing from the Quechua word for 'female'.
Examples in context
- Mi camisa es naranja.My shirt is orange.This sentence shows how to use naranja to describe the color of an object.Tatoeba #5140940 by don_ramon, translation #4308370 by Wuzzy
- La naranja es naranja.The orange is orange.This sentence uses naranja to refer to both the fruit and the color.Tatoeba #13595770 by Seael, translation #5257025 by solejar
- ¿Querés jugo de naranja?Would you like some orange juice?This sentence demonstrates the phrase jugo de naranja for orange juice.Tatoeba #2117582 by hayastan, translation #1886416 by CK
- Prefiero los muebles con un tono anaranjado claro.I prefer furniture with a light orange tone.
- Me encanta ese vestido naranja. Creo que te queda muy bien.I love that orange dress. I think it suits you well.
- El jugo de naranja es muy refrescante en verano.Orange juice is very refreshing in the summer.
- 111 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and Elena are preparing breakfast in the kitchen.
- DanielElena, ¿me pasas una naranja, por favor?Elena, can you pass me an orange, please?
- ElenaSí, aquí tienes la naranja.Yes, here is the orange.
- DanielGracias, voy a pelar la naranja ahora.Thanks, I am going to peel the orange now.
- ElenaPerfecto, yo preparo el café.Perfect, I will prepare the coffee.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “orange” translations and entries naranja, china, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries china, naranja, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
