gelblich

Gelblich is a German adjective meaning yellowish, describing a color that leans toward yellow rather than being a pure yellow. The term is used to express a nuance or tint rather than a precise hue and can apply to light, surfaces, liquids, and materials.

Originating from the noun gelb (yellow) with the adjectival suffix -lich, gelblich functions like other color adjectives in German. In attributive position it inflects according to gender, number, and case (for example: eine gelbliche Farbe, ein gelblicher Farbstich, das gelbliche Licht). In predicative use after sein or other linking verbs it typically appears invariable: Das Licht ist gelblich.

Gelblich is often used to describe uncertain or warm-toned colors, such as light that appears slightly yellow or surfaces with a yellowish tint. It can also form compound color expressions, such as gelblich-grün, gelblich-orange, or gelblich eingefärbt, to indicate blended hues or subtle shifts in color.

Related terms include gelb (yellow) and der Begriff Gelbstich (yellow tint), which refers more specifically to a noticeable or dominant yellow undertone. Gelblich serves as a precise, modest descriptor when the color is not a pure shade of yellow but a softer, tinged version.

In usage, gelblich appears in everyday language as well as in art, design, and description of natural phenomena where a subdued yellow tone is intended or observed. It contrasts with exact color naming by signaling nuance rather than a fixed color specification.