morado
neutral, Mexico
In Mexican Spanish "purple" is morado. Púrpura is the formal or literary word, and violeta is a lighter violet shade.
Meaning: color between red and blue (adjective)
Ways to say it
| Mexican | Note |
|---|---|
| morado | neutral, Mexico |
| púrpura | formal |
| violeta | violet |
Mexicans say una blusa morada, un morado oscuro and las uvas moradas. Morado changes its ending for gender: morado and morada.
Which one should you use?
Lila is a pale purple and violeta leans toward blue. Púrpura appears in poems, art and news.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico morado is the everyday word. The same color is also called violeta in some other places.
Did you know?
- Purple dye in Oaxaca has a long history with a sea snail, caracol púrpura, used by Mixtec dyers on the Pacific coast.
Examples in context
- Me gusta tu camisa morada.I like your purple shirt.
- Las uvas moradas están dulces.The purple grapes are sweet.
- Pintaron la pared de morado.They painted the wall purple.
Example conversation
Alicia and her friend Carmen shop for scarves at a stall in Oaxaca.
- AliciaCarmen, ¿te gusta el rebozo morado?Carmen, do you like the purple shawl?
- CarmenSí, el color es precioso.Yes, the color is gorgeous.
- AliciaEntonces me lo llevo.Then I will take it.
