Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| morado | /moˈɾado/ | masculine |
| purpúreo | /puɾˈpuɾeo/ | |
| purpurino | /puɾpuɾino/ (from spelling rules) | |
| coccíneo | /koɡθineo/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /koɡsineo/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
|
| púrpura | /ˈpuɾpuɾa/ | feminine, masculine |
| múrice | /ˈmuɾiθe/ /ˈmuɾise/ |
masculine, poetic |
The term refers to the color purple.
Which one should you use?
Morado is the standard, everyday word for the color used in most contexts. In contrast, púrpura is more formal or literary and is often used to describe more intense or regal shades. For highly specialized or poetic contexts, you may encounter múrice. Other related terms include purpúreo, purpurino and coccíneo.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Púrpura carries a formal or literary tone, while múrice is a highly specialized, poetic term that is rarely used in spoken conversation.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The common adjective morado must agree in gender with the noun it describes, becoming morada for feminine nouns. The adjective morado takes the masculine plural form morados when describing multiple masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/moˈɾado/
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the word morado can also mean 'bruised' or 'black and blue' when describing skin.
- The most common way to say 'purple', morado, actually comes from the word for 'mulberry' fruit. This is because the juice of the mulberry fruit produces a deep, purplish stain.
- While morado is the everyday term, using púrpura in a religious context often refers specifically to the robes of bishops or the passion of Christ.
Examples in context
- ¿De qué es esta mancha púrpura?What's this purple stain?This sentence is useful for asking about the nature of a stain using púrpura.Tatoeba #5566862 by swyter, translation #3170527 by CK
- Mi precioso bolígrafo es morado.My beautiful ballpoint pen is purple.This sentence uses morado to describe the color of a pen.Tatoeba #7947142 by Seael, translation #7785216 by sharris123
- El color de su banda es el morado.Their gang color is purple.This sentence uses morado to identify a specific color associated with a gang.Tatoeba #12987752 by Alejandr0, translation #5737854 by CM
- 20 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Javier are shopping for a new rug.
- LucíaJavier, mira este tapete morado.Javier, look at this purple rug.
- JavierEs muy bonito, Lucía.It is very pretty, Lucía.
- Lucía¿Crees que combina con el sofá?Do you think it matches the sofa?
- JavierSí, creo que queda muy bien.Yes, I think it looks very good.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “purple” translations and entries morado, purpúreo, púrpura, múrice, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries morado, múrice, púrpura, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
