RED
Red is considered one of the three primary colours alongside blue and yellow. In the colour spectrum, red is the first visible colour that is why it cannot be placed between two colours, but it is next to orange and opposite of purple. There are a lot of red shades ranging from light to dark. If you would like to learn more about the shades of red and their titles click here.
Colour red is said to mean varying aspects of life such as love and war, which are two opposite things portrayed by the same colour. As they say, there’s only one step from hate to love, and vice versa. Red is lively and full of energy that is why sometimes it is called the colour of health (blood), but at the same time it is associated with anger, as it goes: to see colour red – to get really angry. Click here to learn more colour expressions.
In the rainbow, red is the first colour as it is the first colour visible to the human eye in the whole colour spectrum.
ORANGE
Orange is the second colour in the rainbow right after red. However, unlike red, orange is not a primary colour and instead is made from combining red and yellow. The colour which is named after orange the fruit is usually associated with edible products, vegetables and fruits, it comes from carotenes and gives carrots, pumpkins, sweet potatoes and other vegetables and fruits their signature look.
Colour orange is also associated with animals and flowers. Foxes, squirrels and tigers are among the most well-known animals that have significant orange pigmentation. The beautiful blossoms of marigold flowers, dahlias and orange roses are also recognized thanks to their colour.
Orange is a cheerful colour that signifies energy, warmth and excitement among other things.
YELLOW
Yellow, alongside red and blue, is one of the three primary colours. It is the third colour on the light spectrum that Is visible to the human eye and can be seen in rainbows after red and orange but before green.
Just like other primary colours yellow has a wide range of different shades which vary from cold green-ish colours to warm sunny ones. If you would like to learn more about shades of yellow and how are they called in English, click here.
Yellow, primarily associated with sun and light, is a colour of happiness. It signifies such important and wonderful things in life as joy, friendship and optimism.
GREEN
Green is created by mixing the colour yellow and the colour blue. It is also the reason why it is the fourth colour of the rainbow situated just right between the two colours that, when mixed, create an easily recognizable green tone.
Green symbolizes nature, that is why it is associated with health and tranquillity, calmness. And as a colour of nature, green comes in many shades, usually more than other non-primary colours. If you would like to learn more about the shades of colour green, click here.
BLUE
Blue is considered to be one of the three primary colours among red and yellow. In the colour spectrum it lies between green and purple creating a unique tone which comes in many shades.
Colour blue stands for freedom and intuition, that is why it may be that water bodies from small rivers and lakes to such massive objects as the sea or the ocean are painted blue. The sky, which can also be associated with freedom and lack of limits is usually coloured blue. The colour blue can also be found in the rainbow as the 5th and 6th colour in the shades of light blue and dark blue.
If you would like to learn the names of the colour blue shades, click here where you will find a ton on information on different shades of blue and how they are called.
PURPLE
Purple is the last, 7th, colour of the rainbow. It is the opposite of the colour red and is the last visible colour to the human eye, it is not, however, a primary colour.
Although not a primary colour, purple is highly valued and has been appreciated by people for centuries. It is extremely difficult to produce and what is the likely reason why for so long purple had been considered a royal colour as it was so expensive to make.
Generally, purple is associated with independence, pride and wisdom, making it one of the grand colours.
In nature purple can be found among flowers, vegetables and even animals (such as sea urchins!). Iris, artichoke flower, lilac, purple rose and lavender (which is one of the tones of purple) are among the best-known purple objects found in nature.
Other colours
