Useful English Expressions

Colours

You probably already know the colours of the rainbow; red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. Here are some other colour names the people use in the UK.

10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing: 

1. gold / primrose / buttercup
2. oatmeal / fawn / beige
3. pink / magenta
4. maroon / burgundy
5. Crimson, scarlet, rose
6. emerald / khaki
7. turquoise / jade / cyan
8. royal blue / sky blue
9. navy / midnight blue
10. lilac / lavender / mauve

How To Use These Phrases In Your English: 

1. In 1, crimson is a deep rich red and scarlet is a brighter slightly yellowy red. Rose is the colour of a deep-red flower from the rose family.
2. In 2, maroon and burgundy are both names for a dark red colour. Bugundy is also the name of a dark red wine from France.
3. In 3, magenta is the technical name for the pink colour used in priniting inks in most ink-jet printers.
4. In 4, oatmeal, fawn and beige are pale brown colours that have been fashionable in the UK in recent years.
5. In 5, gold is a deeper yellow, primrose is a weaker, lighter yellow and buttercup is a strong, solid yellow colour.
6. In 6, emerald is a deep green colour with a bit of blue in it and khaki is less strong and more yellowy and brown. Army uniforms in many countries are a khaki colour.
7. In 7, turquoise and jade are coulours between blue and green. Cyan is the technical name of the blue-green coloured ink used in ink-jet printers.
8. In 8, royal blue and sky-blue are strong blue colours similar to the colour of a summer sky. It is the colour of ink.