farbig
colored / in color
Having one or more colors; not black, white, or gray.
EXAMPLE
Für die Präsentation habe ich extra farbiges Papier gekauft.
I bought colored paper especially for the presentation.
farbig
colored / in color
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Meanings
farbig
colored
A term for a person who is not perceived as 'white'. Today, the term is often considered outdated and is regarded by many as problematic.
EXAMPLE
In historischen Texten über die US-Bürgerrechtsbewegung wird oft der Begriff 'farbig' verwendet.
In historical texts about the U.S. civil rights movement, the term 'colored' is often used.
Usage tips
Word structure
The adjective 'farbig' (colored) is derived directly from the noun 'die Farbe' (color). The ending '-ig' is often used to form an adjective from a noun meaning 'having the quality of something'.
EXAMPLE
Sie trug ein farbiges Tuch im Haar.
She wore a colored scarf in her hair.
Context clue
The meaning of the word depends strongly on the context. If it refers to an object, a picture, or a document, it means 'bunt' (colorful / in color). If it refers to a person, it has the outdated meaning that is often considered problematic.
EXAMPLE
Kannst du mir das Dokument farbig ausdrucken?
Can you print the document in color for me?
Typical collocations
In the meaning 'bunt' (colorful / in color), 'farbig' (colored) is often combined with things that are perceived visually. Typical examples are: 'farbiges Papier' (colored paper), 'farbige Stifte' (colored pencils), 'farbige Kleidung' (colored clothing), or 'ein farbiger Ausdruck' (a color printout).
EXAMPLE
Kinder malen gerne mit farbigen Stiften.
Children like to draw with colored pencils.
Cultural note
As a term for people, 'farbig' (colored) is considered outdated today and is regarded by many people as inappropriate or discriminatory. The term is usually used only in historical contexts now and should be avoided in modern usage.
EXAMPLE
Der Begriff „Farbige“ war in der Zeit der Rassentrennung in den USA gebräuchlich.
The term 'Farbige' (colored people) was common during the time of racial segregation in the United States.
Compare with
farbig vs bunt
colorful
Farbig generally means that something has one or more colors and is not just black, white, or gray. Bunt usually refers to many different colors and often conveys a lively visual effect. A monochrome blue picture can therefore be farbig, but not bunt.
farbig
Die Grafik ist farbig, verwendet aber nur einen einzigen Blauton.
The graphic is in color, but it uses only a single shade of blue.
bunt
Die Grafik ist bunt und verwendet viele leuchtende Farben.
The graphic is colorful and uses many bright colors.
In real life
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