Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA |
|---|---|
| roxo | /ˈʁo.ʃu/ (Brazil) /ˈʁo.ʃu/ (Rio de Janeiro) |
| púrpura | /ˈpuʁ.pu.ɾɐ/ (Brazil) /ˈpuɾ.pu.ɾɐ/ (São Paulo) |
| violeta | /vi.oˈle.tɐ/ (Brazil) /vjoˈle.tɐ/ (Brazil) |
The primary word for the color is roxo. In a medical or physical context, roxo is commonly used to describe a bruise or skin that has turned purple/blue from an impact.
Which one should you use?
While púrpura and violeta are synonyms, roxo is the most common, everyday word for the color purple. Violeta specifically refers to a violet hue, which is a lighter, more blue-toned shade of purple compared to the standard roxo. Púrpura often carries a more formal or literary connotation, sometimes referring to a deep reddish-purple or imperial purple.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective roxo must agree in gender with the noun it describes, becoming roxa for feminine nouns. The adjective roxo must agree in number with the noun it describes, becoming roxos for masculine plural nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈʁo.ʃu/. The word has 2 syllables, and the stress is on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- The word roxo is a cognate of the Spanish word rojo, but while rojo means 'red', roxo means 'purple'.
- While roxo is the standard word for the color, púrpura is often reserved for religious or imperial contexts, such as the robes worn by high-ranking church officials.
Examples in context
- O suéter dela é roxo.Her sweater is purple.This sentence shows how to use roxo to describe the color of an object.Tatoeba #4675504 by carlosalberto, translation #435090 by lukaszpp
- Verde não combina com roxo.Green does not go well with purple.This sentence shows how to use roxo when discussing color combinations.Tatoeba #1301841 by alexmarcelo, translation #2747692 by mervert1
- O insecto não é azul, é roxo.The insect is not blue, it is purple.This sentence demonstrates the use of roxo to identify the color of an insect.Tatoeba #11150854 by carlosalberto, translation #11150827 by carlosalberto
- Essa é uma gravata roxaThis is a purple tie
- A cor púrpura é associada à realezaThe color purple is associated with royalty
- Ele pintou a parede de um tom arroxeadoHe painted the wall in a purplish shade
- Eu adoro aquela blusa lilás!I love that lilac blouse!
- O vestido roxo que ela está usando é incrível.The purple dress she's wearing is amazing.
- Adoramos pintar as paredes do quarto em tons de lilás.We love painting the bedroom walls in shades of lilac.
- A nova coleção de produtos tem embalagens púrpuras muito elegantes.The new product collection has very stylish purple packaging.
- A flor tem um tom arroxeado maravilhoso.The flower has a wonderful purplish tone.
- 22 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Mariana are looking at paint samples for a room.
- GabrielVocê gosta deste tom de roxo?Do you like this shade of purple?
- MarianaAcho que é escuro demais, Gabriel.I think it's too dark, Gabriel.
- GabrielMas o roxo fica lindo nesta parede.But purple looks beautiful on this wall.
- MarianaTemos que escolher outra cor.We have to choose another color.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “purple” translations and entries roxo, púrpura, violeta, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries púrpura, roxo, violeta, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
