Vocab: Colours — B1

Colours vocabulary at B1 level.

Maskulin Feminin Neutrum Plural

das Silber — silver; silver colour, silvery appearance

das Silber is normally a mass noun, so it has no plural when it means the material. For a particular object, use a countable noun such as ein Silberring or eine Silbermünze.

Das Silber glänzt im Licht.

The silver shines in the light.

glänzt means shines, and im Licht means in the light. Das Silber is nominative because it is the subject; the finite verb glänzt stands in position two.

Sie verkauft das Silber.

She sells the silver.

sie means she, and verkauft means sells. das Silber is accusative because verkaufen takes a direct object; the finite verb verkauft is in position two.

Er arbeitet mit dem Silber.

He works with the silver.

arbeitet means works, and mit means with. mit always takes the dative, so dem Silber is dative; the finite verb arbeitet is in position two.

Der Glanz des Silbers ist stark.

The shine of the silver is strong.

der Glanz means the shine, and stark means strong. des Silbers means of the silver and is genitive because it shows possession; the finite verb ist is in position two.

Ihr Haar hat einen schönen Silberton.

Her hair has a beautiful silver tone.

ihr Haar means her hair, schön means beautiful, and Ton means tone or shade. Silber is part of the compound Silberton; the whole compound is the accusative object of hat.

Der Mond leuchtet in Silber.

The moon shines in silver.

der Mond means the moon, and leuchtet means shines. in Silber describes the colour or appearance; here in is used without an article in a fixed colour expression, and the finite verb leuchtet is in position two.