los colores del arcoíris
/los koloɾes del aɾkoiɾis/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "the colors of the rainbow" is los colores del arcoíris.
This phrase refers to the sequence of different hues that appear in a rainbow.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of los colores (the colors) and del, which is a contraction of de el (of the) and arcoíris (rainbow).
Which one should you use?
The single word arcoíris can also be written as two separate words, arco iris, which is an acceptable alternative spelling.
How do you pronounce it?
/los koloɾes del aɾkoiɾis/
Did you know?
- The word arcoíris is derived from the Latin arcus, meaning 'bow' and iris, the Greek goddess of the rainbow who served as a messenger between gods and humans.
- The word iris in arcoíris is also the standard Spanish anatomical term for the colored part of the human eye.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, there is a popular folk belief that seeing an arcoíris is a sign of good luck or a bridge to a hidden treasure.
Examples in context
- ¿Cuál es tu color favorito del arcoíris?What is your favorite color of the rainbow?
- Me encantan los colores del arcoíris.I love the colors of the rainbow.
- Los colores del arcoíris son muy brillantes.The colors of the rainbow are very bright.
- ¿Conoces los colores del arcoíris?Do you know the colors of the rainbow?
Example conversation
Daniel and Elena are looking at a colorful drawing in a book.
- DanielMira este dibujo, tiene los colores del arcoíris.Look at this drawing, it has the colors of the rainbow.
- ElenaEs muy bonito, Daniel.It is very pretty, Daniel.
- Daniel¿Te gustan los colores del arcoíris?Do you like the colors of the rainbow?
- ElenaSí, son mis favoritos.Yes, they are my favorites.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries arcoíris, del, los, CC BY-SA 4.0.
