lila
The English word purple can be translated into Swedish as lila. If unsure, use lila. Wiktionary also lists lila (blueish) and purpur.
Meaning: colour (noun)
Ways to say it
| Swedish |
|---|
| lila |
| lila (blueish) |
| purpur |
| violett |
| purpurfärgad |
Swedish has several words for purple depending on the specific shade and context. Use lila for the general color, violett for a technical or specific shade of violet and purpur to describe a deep, reddish-purple or a regal crimson shade.
Which one should you use?
lila is the most common, everyday word for purple in both spoken and written Swedish. violett is used in more formal, artistic or technical contexts to describe a specific shade of violet. purpur is a literary term that refers to a deeper, more reddish-purple or a regal shade of crimson.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When used as an adjective before a noun, lila is indeclinable and does not change its form, regardless of the gender or number of the noun.
Did you know?
- The word purpur is often associated with the biblical and royal history of the 'Tyrian purple' dye, making it sound far more archaic than lila.
- The word 'lila' is actually a loanword from the German 'lila', which itself traces back to the French 'lilas'.
- While 'lila' is the most common word for purple, it is also the Swedish word for 'lilac', meaning the color name and the flower name are identical.
Examples in context
- Widget är en lila utomjording.Widget is a purple alien.This sentence uses lila to describe an alien.Tatoeba #11909280 by herrsilen, translation #11908416 by Amastan
- PurpurfärgenThe Color Purple (movie)This sentence uses purpur in a title.
- Hon köpte en lila tröja.She bought a purple sweater.
Example conversation
Maja and Oscar are looking at a flower shop display.
- MajaTitta på den där vackra lila blomman!Look at that beautiful purple flower!
- OscarJa, den är verkligen fin.Yes, it is really nice.
- MajaSkulle du vilja ha en lila bukett?Would you like a purple bouquet?
- OscarDet vore en fantastisk present till henne.That would be a fantastic gift for her.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “purple” translations and entries lila, purpur, violett, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
