How to create "in-between" colors in Korean | Bluish-green, Reddish-orange, etc.

KSJ 쌤
3 days ago
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안녕하세요 리더님! It’s Koreanstudyjunkie.

One of my students brought up this idea to me about how these so-called, “in-between” colors are said in Korean, so of course, I wrote this down and decided to make a lesson about, because I, myself, also have not learned this concept.

In Korean, "in-between" colors—like "bluish purple" or "reddish orange"—are usually expressed in three ways:

Using -빛, -색), or -끼

These suffixes indicate a slight tint or hue of a certain color.

남빛 → Indigo (deep bluish hue)
분홍빛이 도는 하양 → White with a pinkish tint
회빛이 도는 파랑 → A blue with a grayish tone
갈색빛이 도는 노랑 → A yellow with a brownish tint
보랏빛이 감도는 빨강 → A red with a purplish glow
청록빛 → Turquoise (greenish-blue)
연두빛 → Yellowish-green

-빛

Meaning: "Light" or "Hue"

빛 is used to describe a specific light or hue that is cast on a color, indicating that it has a subtle tint or glow.
It is often used to describe colors that have a certain shade due to light (e.g., light, pale, or tinted colors).

Example Patterns:

[Color]빛 → Indicates the light or hue of that color.
- 남빛 → Indigo (deep bluish hue)
- 보랏빛 → Purple hue (or reddish purple)
- 청록빛 → Turquoise (greenish-blue)
- 연두빛 → Yellowish-green

Example Sentences:

보랏빛이 도는 빨강 → A red with a purplish tint (The red color is affected by a purple hue.)
청록빛이 도는 바다 → A sea with a turquoise hue (The water looks like it has a blue-green tint.)

-색

Meaning: "Color" (General)

색 is the general term for color, and it is used when describing the actual color itself or when referring to specific hues or shades.
Unlike 빛, 색 often refers to the true nature or characteristic of the color.

Example Patterns:

[Color]색 → Used when simply describing the color itself or a specific shade.
- 파란색 → Blue
- 빨간색 → Red
- 보라색 → Purple
- 갈색 → Brown

Example Sentences:

파란색 하늘 → A blue sky (A sky that is blue in color).
보라색 꽃 → Purple flower (A flower that is purple in color).

-끼

Meaning: "With a hint of" or "Tinge of"

끼 is used to describe a slight hint or tint of a color that mixes with another. It suggests that the primary color is not pure but is affected by the secondary color.
This is often used when you want to describe a mixture or in-between color that is not clearly one or the other.

Example Patterns:

[Color]끼 → Used to indicate a slight tint or mixture with another color.
- 분홍끼 → A hint of pink
- 회끼 → A grayish tint
- 노랑끼 → A hint of yellow
- 파랑끼 → A hint of blue

Example Sentences:

회끼가 도는 파랑 → A blue with a grayish tint (Blue that has a touch of gray).
분홍끼가 도는 노랑 → A yellow with a pinkish tint (Yellow that has a touch of pink).

Using -스러운 or -스름한 for a ‘-ish’ feeling

The suffix -스러운 and -스름한 is used to give an "ish" or "-like" meaning to adjectives or nouns. It’s used to express an impressionor quality of something, typically indicating that something resembles or gives the feeling of a certain quality, even if it’s not exactly that thing.

It can be roughly translated as “-ish,” “-like,” or “having the quality of.”

푸르스름한 → Bluish (derived from 푸르다)
누르스름한 → Yellowish (derived from 누르다)
붉그스름한 → Reddish
초록스러운 → Greenish
검푸르스름한 → Dark bluish-black Derived from 검다 and 푸르다)
회푸르스름한 → Grayish-blue (Derived from 회색 and 푸르다)

Combining Two Colors

Two colors can be combined like this "빛이 도는" (tinted with) or “빛이 섞인“ (mixed with) OR simply list colors together to indicate a mixed shade.

파랑 도는 보라 → Bluish purple
빨강빛이 도는 주황 → Reddish orange
회갈색 → Grayish brown
초록빛이 도는 노랑 → Greenish yellow
초록빛이 감도는 갈색 → A brown with a greenish hue
노란빛이 섞인 주황 → An orange mixed with yellow
보라와 빨강이 섞인 색 → A mix of purple and red
푸른빛을 띠는 검정 → A black with a bluish tint

KEY WORDS YOU NEED TO KNOW:

도는

Meaning: "Turning to" or "Tending toward"

This is used when one color has a slight tint or hint of another color.

You’ll often see it used like: [Color A]빛이 도는 [Color B]→ Color B with a slight Color A tint.

Examples:

보랏빛이 도는 빨강 → A red with a purplish tint
회빛이 도는 파랑 → A blue with a grayish tint

Sidenote:The verb 돌다 means "to turn or spin."도는 is the adjective form, so it means "that turns/tends toward."

감도는

Meaning: "Gently showing" or "Lightly carrying" a color

This describes a soft or faint hue in something.

It’s often used for elegant or subtle color shifts.

Examples:

보랏빛이 감도는 빨강 → A red with a soft purplish glow
흰빛이 감도는 보라 → A purple with a whitish hue

Sidenote: The verb 감돌다 means "to hover lightly" or "linger faintly." 감도는 means "gently hovering" or "barely showing."

띠는

Meaning: "Carrying" or "Showing" a color

This is used when something clearly has or shows a color or tone.

Examples:

푸른빛을 띠는 검정 → A black with a bluish tone
붉은빛을 띠는 갈색 → A brown with a reddish tint

Sidenote: The verb 띠다 means "to have" or "to show" a feeling, expression, or color. 띠는 means "having" or "showing."

In Korean, you can describe dark vs. light colors using specific words:

1. Using "연한" (Light) vs. "진한" (Dark)

These are commonly used to describe the intensity of a color.

연한 파랑 → Light blue
진한 파랑 → Dark blue
연한 초록 → Light green
진한 빨강 → Dark red

Examples:

연한 파랑 셔츠를 입으면 산뜻하고 부드러운 느낌이 들어요.

Wearing a light blue shirt gives a fresh and soft feeling.

진한 빨강 립스틱이 얼굴을 더 또렷하게 만들어 줘요.

A dark red lipstick makes your face look more defined.

2. Using "밝은" (Bright/Light) vs. "어두운" (Dark)

These words emphasize brightness or darkness.

밝은 노랑 → Bright yellow
어두운 초록 → Dark green
밝은 분홍 → Light pink
어두운 보라 → Dark purple

Examples:

밝은 노랑 커튼을 달았더니 방이 훨씬 환해졌어요.

I put up bright yellow curtains, and the room became much brighter.

어두운 초록 페인트를 사용하면 공간이 차분하고 안정적인 느낌을 줘요.

Using dark green paint gives the space a calm and stable vibe.

3. Using "연-" (Light) vs. "짙-" (Deep/Dark) as Prefixes

These prefixes are often attached to color names.

연파랑 → Light blue
짙파랑 → Deep blue
연초록 → Light green
짙초록 → Deep green

Examples:

연보라색 꽃이 봄 분위기를 더해 줘요.

Light purple flowers enhance the spring atmosphere.

짙파랑 바다는 깊고 신비로운 느낌을 준다.

The deep blue sea gives off a mysterious and profound feeling.

4. Using "-빛이 도는" for a Dark or Light Hue

회빛이 도는 파랑 → A blue with a grayish/dark tint
흰빛이 감도는 보라 → A purple with a whitish/light hue

Examples:

회빛이 도는 파랑 정장은 차분하면서도 세련된 분위기를 연출할 수 있어요.

A blue suit with a grayish tint can create a calm yet sophisticated look.

흰빛이 감도는 보라 원피스가 너무 우아해 보여요.

A purple dress with a whitish hue looks so elegant.

PRACTICE TIME:

ANSWER KEY IS AT THE END

Choose the correct word or phrase to complete the sentence

파랑보다 __________ 파랑이 더 부드럽고 산뜻해 보여요.→ Compared to dark blue, __________ blue looks softer and fresher.
a) 진한 (dark)
b) 연한 (light)
c) 초록빛이 도는 (green-tinted)

이 립스틱은 __________빛이 감도는 빨강이에요.→ This lipstick is red with a __________ hue.
a) 회 (gray)
b) 보랏 (purple)
c) 노란 (yellow)

벽에 __________ 초록색을 칠하면 차분한 분위기를 줄 수 있어요.→ Painting the wall __________ green can give a calm feeling.
a) 밝은 (bright)
b) 누르스름한 (yellowish)
c) 어두운 (dark)

이 꽃은 흰색인데, 약간 __________빛이 돌아요.→ This flower is white, but has a slightly __________ tint.
a) 파랑 (blue)
b) 분홍 (pink)
c) 검정 (black)

이 바다는 짙은 파랑이고, __________ 느낌을 줘요.→ This sea is deep blue and gives a __________ feeling.
a) 환한 (bright)
b) 깊고 신비로운 (deep and mysterious)
c) 연하고 가벼운 (light and soft)

Translate the descriptions into Korean

A light pink with a yellowish hue
A dark blue with a gray tint
A reddish-orange color
A green that looks a bit yellow
A black with a bluish tint

List of Basic Colors:

빨강(색) — red
파랑(색) — blue
노랑(색) — yellow
초록(색) — green
하양(색) — white
검정(색) or 까망(색) — black
보라(색) — purple
주황(색) — orange
갈색 — brown
회색 — gray
분홍(색) — pink
남색 — navy or dark blue
연두(색) — light green or yellow-green

The word 색 means "color" and can be added to most color words, but it’s often left out in casual conversation.

ANSWER KEY:

b). 연한 (light)→ "연한" means light or pale in color, showing low intensity.
b). 보랏 (purple)→ "보랏" comes from "보라색," meaning purple.
c). 어두운 (dark)→ "어두운" describes a dark or deep tone of a color.
b). 분홍 (pink)→ "분홍" means pink, often used for light or soft pink shades.
b). 깊고 신비로운 (deep and mysterious)→ This phrase describes something that feels deep in color and gives a mysterious impression—often used with deep sea or night colors.
A light pink with a yellowish hue → 누르스름한 빛이 도는 연분홍색→ This means a soft pink that has a yellowish tint ("누르스름한" = yellowish, "연분홍색" = light pink).
A dark blue with a gray tint → 회빛이 도는 진한 파랑→ This is a strong (dark) blue color with a grayish tone ("회빛" = gray tint, "진한" = deep/dark).
A reddish-orange color → 빨강빛이 도는 주황→ This is orange with a red tint ("빨강빛이 도는" = having a red glow).
A green that looks a bit yellow → 노란빛이도는 초록 or 연두빛→ Both mean a greenish color with yellow tone: "노란빛이 도는 초록" = green with yellow tint, "연두빛" = yellow-green.
A black with a bluish tint → 푸른빛을 띠는 검정→ This means black that carries a blue tint ("푸른빛을 띠는" = carrying a bluish tone, "검정" = black).