Lichtgele

Lichtgele is a descriptive term for a pale yellow color used in Dutch and, to a lesser extent, in neighboring languages. The word combines licht ('light') and geel ('yellow'), and lichtgele is the attributive form used before a noun, as in een lichtgele kleur or een lichtgele stof. It denotes a hue that sits between white and saturated yellow.

In Dutch color naming, lichtgele is informal but widely understood in design, fashion, and interior contexts. In other Germanic languages the closest standard term is light yellow (English) or lichtgelb in German, with slight variation in shade naming across regions and industries.

Visually, lichtgele describes a warm, creamy yellow that is not intense. In digital color spaces it roughly corresponds to pale yellow swatches such as CSS LightYellow (#FFFFE0) or LemonChiffon (#FFFACD). Real-world examples include pastel textiles, spring decor, and soft branding palettes.

Its uses emphasize approachability and warmth rather than high visibility. It can pair well with navy, charcoal, or forest tones, and is common in palettes aimed at softness and legibility in prints, packaging, and fashion.

See also: color naming in Dutch, pale yellow, color theory.