German word

oliv

Pronunciation

IPA/oˈliːf/

Meaning

  • adjectiveolive

Example

Ich habe ein olives Hemd.

I have an olive shirt.

Illustration for oliv (olive)

More examples

Er hat eine olivfarbene Jacke gekauft.

He bought an olive-colored jacket.

Core concept

A canvas bag colored like the muted green of an olive rather than a bright leaf.

Common phrases

  • olivfarbene Jacke

    olive-colored jacket

  • olivfarbene Hose

    olive-colored trousers

  • olivgrünes Hemd

    olive-green shirt

Similar words

olivgrün: A subdued green resembling the color of olives or olive leaves.
grün: A standard green close to the color of leaves or grass.
gelbgrün: A bright green with a strong yellow tinge.
khakifarben: A dull yellowish brown resembling soil or military uniforms.

Definition in German

Bezeichnet einen gedämpften Grünton mit leicht braunlichem oder gelblich-grünem Einschlag.

Word origin

German oliv comes from Olive, whose history leads through Romance forms to Latin oliva; the fruit name became a color adjective.

Usage tips

  • After sein, oliv is normally uninflected, as in Das Hemd ist oliv, while attributive use requires an adjective ending.

Opposites

Related words

  • olivfarbenolive-coloredadjective
  • olivgrünolive greenadjective

Word lists with this word