Appearance
Vocab: Colours — B2
Colours vocabulary at B2 level.
Maskulin Feminin Neutrum Plural
der Purpur — purple; purple dye
Der Purpur is a deep purple colour or the valuable purple dye known from history. It is a mass noun, so it normally has no plural; do not confuse it with the adjective purpur.
Der Purpur wirkt sehr feierlich.
The purple looks very ceremonial.
wirkt means looks or seems, and feierlich means ceremonial or solemn. Der Purpur is nominative because it is the subject; the finite verb wirkt stands in position two.
Die Künstlerin verwendet den Purpur für den Mantel.
The artist uses purple for the cloak.
die Künstlerin means the female artist, verwendet means uses, and der Mantel means the cloak. Den Purpur is accusative because verwenden takes a direct object; für takes the accusative in für den Mantel.
Die Farbe ähnelt dem Purpur.
The colour resembles purple.
die Farbe means the colour and ähnelt means resembles. Ähneln takes the dative, so dem Purpur is dative; this is a useful exception to the common accusative pattern.
Die Geschichte des Purpurs ist interessant.
The history of purple is interesting.
die Geschichte means the history and interessant means interesting. Des Purpurs is genitive because it specifies the subject’s history; the noun takes -s in the genitive.