What is the difference between rojo and colorado?

Question

What is the difference between rojo and colorado?

Answer 1

When I was young I remember always hearing colorado for red, but all the language books say red is rojo.

So is color red in Spanish rojo or colorado?

Answer 2

HI Nicole, very funny but you misunderstood, this is colorado:

colorado1 -da adjetivo red; ponerse ~

to blush, turn red, go red (BrE) (Méx fam) ‹chiste› risqué colorado2 sustantivo masculino red

• Interesting that Spanish referes to it as colorado and English refers to it as "off-colored". - 0074b507 Sep 8, 2009
• I feel stupid! I thought he meant the state of Colorado. Oh well, you learn something new every day! - Nicole-B Sep 8, 2009
• Hello, - LuisaGomezBa Jul 30, 2010
• There are lots of red rocks in Colorado... So maybe that is where the name came from. - LuisaGomezBa Jul 30, 2010

Answer 3

When I was young I remember always hearing colorado for red, but all the language books say red is rojo.

So is color red in Spanish rojo or colorado?

Hi Mike, well you sure look young!

Colorado is more often used for expressions, like you can see in the quote above.

Tiene la cabeza colorada. Me pones colorado. red from blushing

Answer 4

This question is listed under "Vocabulary and Grammar", but it sounds more like a riddle or joke. I think it would be helpful if you let us know what exactly you mean in order to have your question answered.

• Nicole ─ I tried to search for "colorado" in the flashcards and could not find it. What is the URL you referred to under "Vocabulary and Grammar?" I think I need re-training. - Moe Sep 8, 2009

Answer 5

The color red is rojo.

Colorado is "colored", but it more has the meaning of "colored red" as in flush colored or "colored" as in a dirty joke as the dictionary says. In English we say my face is "red" when we're embarassed or astonished, but "color" is also used to denote skin pigmentation in general. In English we used to speak about "colored" races. Spanish happens to share our use of colorado in the blushing context and in the off-color joke context. I trying to remember if I have seen "buen colorado" to mean healthy or rosy cheeked. Long story short, rojo is red, colorado is red colored in certain contexts.

Answer 6

The children's book, Clifford the Big Red Dog is also avaialble in Spanish as, Clifford, el grand perro colorado. I had learned rojo for red. Why is colorado used in this instance?

• It means red haired (furred). See Heidita's answer above. - 0074b507 Sep 8, 2009

Answer 7

Quentin, we say

tiene buen color (not colorado)

Answer 8

Colorado "el chapulin colorado" is a funny charactor, mi camisa es roja~my shirt is red. Colorado often used or refered to funny stuff, rojo more of the actual color.