lila
purple
Having the color between red and blue; a light violet shade. The adjective 'lila' is usually not declined.
EXAMPLE
Sie trägt heute ein lila Kleid und passende Schuhe.
She is wearing a purple dress and matching shoes today.
lila
purple
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Meanings
Usage tips
No declension
The color adjective 'lila' (purple) is normally not declined when it stands before a noun. It keeps its basic form, regardless of the noun's gender, case, or number.
EXAMPLE
Er kaufte einen lila Regenschirm.
He bought a purple umbrella.
Use as a noun
'Lila' (purple) can also be used as a noun to refer to the color itself. In this case, it is neuter and capitalized: 'das Lila' (the purple).
EXAMPLE
Das Lila dieses Himmels ist wunderschön.
The purple of this sky is beautiful.
Register and style
Although you sometimes hear the declined form 'lilaner' or 'lilanes', the unchanged form 'lila' is considered correct in standard German and stylistically better. So with 'lila' (purple), you will never make a mistake.
EXAMPLE
Ihr lila Schal passte perfekt zu ihrer Jacke.
Her purple scarf matched her jacket perfectly.
Compare with
lila vs violett
violet
Lila and violett refer to related colors whose boundary is not completely fixed. Lila usually appears lighter and can lean more toward red, while violett often refers to a bluer shade. A light purple shade therefore tends to be called lila, while a distinctly bluish shade is more likely to be called violett.
lila
Der helle, leicht rötliche Schal ist lila.
The light, slightly reddish scarf is purple.
violett
Der deutlich bläuliche Schal ist violett.
The distinctly bluish scarf is violet.
In real life
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