pastel

English

Pastel crayons

Etymology 1

Etymology tree

Ancient Greek πάσσω (pássō)

Proto-Indo-European *-tós

Proto-Hellenic *-tós

Ancient Greek -τός (-tós)

Ancient Greek παστός (pastós)

Ancient Greek παστά (pastá)bor.

Latin pasta

Proto-Indo-European *-lós

Proto-Indo-European *-e-lós

Proto-Italic *-elos

Latin -lus

Latin -ellus

Latin pastellus

Latin -um

Latin pastellum

Italian pastelloder.

French pastelbor.

English pastel

Borrowed from French pastel, from Italian pastello (“pastel”), from Medieval Latin pastellum (“dough, paste”), from Latin pasta (“dough, paste”), ultimately from Ancient Greek πάστη (pástē, “dough, paste”). Doublet of pastegh, pastiglia, pastila, pastilla, and pastille.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈpæstl̩/, /ˈpæstəl/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /pæsˈtɛl/
• Rhymes: -æstəl, -ɛl
• Hyphenation: past‧el

Noun

pastel (countable and uncountable, plural pastels)

1. Any of several subdued tints of colors, usually associated with pink, peach, yellow, green, blue, and lavender.
2. (art) A drawing made with any of those colors.
3. A type of dried paste used to make crayons.
4. A crayon made from such a paste.
5. Woad.

   Wool was dyed in the pastel vat.

Alternative forms

• (drawing; crayon): pastille (nonstandard, obsolete)

Derived terms

• pastelist
• pastellic
• pastellist
• pastelly

Translations

any of several subdued tints of colors

• Armenian: պաստել (hy) (pastel)
• Czech: pastelová barva
• Finnish: pastellisävy (fi)
• German: Pastellfarbe (de) f
• Hungarian: pasztell (hu)
• Japanese: パステルカラー (ja) (pasuteru karā)
• Polish: pastel (pl) m
• Portuguese: pastel (pt) m
• Russian: пасте́ль (ru) f (pastɛ́lʹ)
• Spanish: color pastel m, tono pastel m
• Turkish: pastel (tr)

drawing made with these colors

• Bulgarian: пастел m (pastel)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 粉画 (zh)

• Czech: pastel m
• Finnish: pastelli (fi), pastellityö
• Polish: pastel (pl) m
• Portuguese: pastel (pt) m
• Russian: пасте́ль (ru) f (pastɛ́lʹ)
• Yiddish: פּאַסטעל m (pastel)

type of dried paste

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 色素粉末, 粉彩 (zh) (fěncǎi)

• Polish: pastel (pl) m
• Portuguese: pastel (pt) m
• Russian: пасте́ль (ru) f (pastɛ́lʹ)
• Vietnamese: phấn tiên

crayon made from such a paste

• Armenian: պաստել (hy) (pastel)
• Belarusian: пастэ́ль f (pastélʹ)
• Bulgarian: пастел m (pastel)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 蠟筆 / 蜡笔 (cǎisè làbǐ), 油畫棒 / 油画棒, 粉畫兒筆 / 粉画儿笔

• Czech: barevná křída
• Finnish: pastelliliitu
• French: pastel (fr) m or f
• Georgian: პასტელი (ṗasṭeli)
• Hungarian: pasztellkréta (hu)
• Japanese: パステル (ja) (pasuteru)
• Korean: 파스텔 (ko) (paseutel)
• Polish: pastel (pl) m
• Portuguese: pastel (pt) m
• Russian: пасте́ль (ru) f (pastɛ́lʹ)
• Ukrainian: пасте́ль f (pastélʹ)
• Yiddish: פּאַסטעל־קרײַדל n (pastel-kraydl)

Etymology 2

Etymology tree

Ancient Greek πάσσω (pássō)

Proto-Indo-European *-tós

Proto-Hellenic *-tós

Ancient Greek -τός (-tós)

Ancient Greek παστός (pastós)

Ancient Greek παστά (pastá)bor.

Latin pasta

Proto-Indo-European *-lós

Proto-Indo-European *-e-lós

Proto-Italic *-elos

Latin -lus

Latin -ellus

Latin pastellus

Latin -um

Latin pastellum

Italian pastelloder.

Old French pastelder.

Spanish pastelbor.

English pastel

Borrowed from Spanish pastel, ultimately the same word as Etymology 1.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pæsˈtɛl/, /pɑsˈtɛl/

Noun

pastel (countable and uncountable, plural pastels or pasteles)

1. A traditional dish in various Latin American countries and in Indonesia, resembling a tamale, pasty, or calzone.
2. A Filipino stew made with vegetables, sausages, and chicken or other meat in a creamy sauce.

Anagrams

• tepals, Stapel, septal, Staple, peltas, Patels, palest, Pleats, leptas, plates, petals, staple, palets, patels, pleats

Asturian

Etymology

From Old French pastel. Cognate with English pastel.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pasˈtel/ [pas̪ˈt̪el]
• Rhymes: -el
• Syllabification: pas‧tel

Noun

pastel m (plural pasteles)

1. cake

Further reading

• “pastel”, in Diccionariu de la llingua asturiana [Dictionary of the Asturian Language] (in Asturian), 1st edition, Academy of the Asturian Language [Asturian: Academia de la Llingua Asturiana], 2000, →ISBN

Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈpastɛl]

Noun

pastel m inan

1. pastel

Declension

Declension of pastel (hard masculine inanimate)

	singular	plural
nominative	pastel	pastely
genitive	pastelu	pastelů
dative	pastelu	pastelům
accusative	pastel	pastely
vocative	pastele	pastely
locative	pastelu	pastelech
instrumental	pastelem	pastely

Further reading

• “pastel”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “pastel”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
• “pastel”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2026

Danish

Etymology

Etymology tree

Ancient Greek πάσσω (pássō)

Proto-Indo-European *-tós

Proto-Hellenic *-tós

Ancient Greek -τός (-tós)

Ancient Greek παστός (pastós)

Ancient Greek παστά (pastá)bor.

Latin pasta

Proto-Indo-European *-lós

Proto-Indo-European *-e-lós

Proto-Italic *-elos

Latin -lus

Latin -ellus

Latin pastellus

Latin -um

Latin pastellum

Italian pastelloder.

French pastelder.

Danish pastel

From French pastel, Italian pastello (“pastel”), from Medieval Latin pastellum (“dough, paste”), from Latin pasta (“dough, paste”), ultimately from Ancient Greek πάστη (pástē, “dough, paste”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pastɛl/, [pʰaˈsd̥ɛlˀ]

Noun

pastel c (singular definite pastellen, plural indefinite pasteller)

1. pastel

Inflection

Declension of pastel

common gender	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	pastel	pastellen	pasteller	pastellerne
genitive	pastels	pastellens	pastellers	pastellernes

French

Etymology

Etymology tree

Ancient Greek πάσσω (pássō)

Proto-Indo-European *-tós

Proto-Hellenic *-tós

Ancient Greek -τός (-tós)

Ancient Greek παστός (pastós)

Ancient Greek παστά (pastá)bor.

Latin pasta

Proto-Indo-European *-lós

Proto-Indo-European *-e-lós

Proto-Italic *-elos

Latin -lus

Latin -ellus

Latin pastellus

Latin -um

Latin pastellum

Italian pastelloder.

French pastel

From Italian pastello (“pastel”), from Medieval Latin pastellum (“dough, paste”), from Latin pasta (“dough, paste”), ultimately from Ancient Greek παστός (pastós, “dough, paste”). Doublet of pastille.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pas.tɛl/

• Audio (France (Lyon)):

  (file)

• Audio (France):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Vosges)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Lyon)):

  (file)

Noun

pastel m (plural pastels)

1. (botany) woad
2. (art) pastel

Derived terms

• pastelliste

Related terms

• pâte
• pastille

Descendants

• → English: pastel
• → Danish: pastel
• → Dutch: pastel
  • → Indonesian: pastel
• → Romanian: pastel

Further reading

• “pastel”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012

Galician

Etymology

From Old French pastel. Cognate with English pastel.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pasˈtɛl/ [pas̺ˈt̪ɛɫ]
• Rhymes: -ɛl

Noun

pastel f (plural pasteis)

1. cake

Further reading

• “pastel”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2026

Indonesian

Pronunciation

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /ˈpastɛl/ [ˈpas.t̪ɛl]
• Syllabification: pas‧tel

Etymology 1

From Portuguese pastel (“a type of pastry”). Doublet of pasta.

Noun

pastel (plural pastel-pastel)

1. (cooking) a type of fried curry puff, similar to empanada

Etymology 2

From Dutch pastel, from French pastel, from Italian pastello. Related to the first etymology.

Noun

pastel (plural pastel-pastel)

1. pastel (type of dried paste)
2. pastel (drawing made with these paste)
3. pastel (any of several subdued tints of colors)

   Synonym: malis

Further reading

• “pastel”, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia [Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016

Polish

pastele sense 2

pastel sense 4

Etymology

Etymology tree

Ancient Greek πάσσω (pássō)

Proto-Indo-European *-tós

Proto-Hellenic *-tós

Ancient Greek -τός (-tós)

Ancient Greek παστός (pastós)

Ancient Greek παστά (pastá)bor.

Latin pasta

Proto-Indo-European *-lós

Proto-Indo-European *-e-lós

Proto-Italic *-elos

Latin -lus

Latin -ellus

Latin pastellus

Latin -um

Latin pastellum

Italian pastelloder.

French pastelbor.

Polish pastel

Borrowed from French pastel.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpas.tɛl/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -astɛl
• Syllabification: pas‧tel

Noun

pastel m inan (related adjective pastelowy)

1. pastel (type of dried paste used to make crayons)
3. (chiefly in the plural) pastel (paint in the form of a soft crayon, used to draw without clear contours)
4. pastel (painting technique that involves the use of pastel)
6. pastel (painting painted with pastels)
7. pastel (any of several subdued tints of colors, usually associated with pink, peach, yellow, green, blue, and lavender)
8. (cosmetics) eye shadow (cosmetic in the form of a light powder for eyelids or cheeks)

   Synonyms: cień, cień do powiek

9. variety of mink with a light brown coat in various shades

Declension

Declension of pastel

	singular	plural
nominative	pastel	pastele
genitive	pastelu	pasteli, pastelów
dative	pastelowi	pastelom
accusative	pastel	pastele
instrumental	pastelem	pastelami
locative	pastelu	pastelach
vocative	pastelu	pastele

Derived terms

nouns

• pastelista
• pastelistka
• pasteloza

Related terms

adverbs

• pastelowo

nouns

• pastelowość

Further reading

• “pastel”, in Wielki słownik języka polskiego‎^[1] (in Polish), Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• “pastel”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎^[2] (in Polish)
• pastel in PWN's encyclopedia

Portuguese

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /pasˈtɛw/ [pasˈtɛʊ̯]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /pasˈtɛw/ [pasˈtɛʊ̯]
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /paʃˈtɛw/ [paʃˈtɛʊ̯]

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /pɐʃˈtɛl/ [pɐʃˈtɛɫ]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /pɐʃˈtɛl/ [pɐʃˈtɛɫ]
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /pɐʃˈtɛ.li/

• Audio (Brazil (Caipira)):

  (file)

• Rhymes: (Portugal) -ɛl, (Brazil) -ɛw
• Hyphenation: pas‧tel

Etymology 1

Etymology tree

Ancient Greek πάσσω (pássō)

Proto-Indo-European *-tós

Proto-Hellenic *-tós

Ancient Greek -τός (-tós)

Ancient Greek παστός (pastós)

Ancient Greek παστά (pastá)bor.

Latin pasta

Proto-Indo-European *-lós

Proto-Indo-European *-e-lós

Proto-Italic *-elos

Latin -lus

Latin -ellus

Latin pastellus

Latin -um

Latin pastellum

Italian pastellobor.

Portuguese pastel

Borrowed from Italian pastello.

Noun

pastel m (plural pastéis)

1. crayon

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Old French pastel (modern pâte).

Noun

pastel m (plural pastéis)

1. a fried pastry made of wheat flour, filled with cheese, meat or other fillings; comparable to German Teigtaschen

Derived terms

• pastel de bacalhau
• pastel de Belém
• pastel de nata
• pastel de Tentúgal
• pastel de vento

Descendants

• → Indonesian: pastel

Further reading

• “pastel”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026

Romanian

Etymology

Etymology tree

Ancient Greek πάσσω (pássō)

Proto-Indo-European *-tós

Proto-Hellenic *-tós

Ancient Greek -τός (-tós)

Ancient Greek παστός (pastós)

Ancient Greek παστά (pastá)bor.

Latin pasta

Proto-Indo-European *-lós

Proto-Indo-European *-e-lós

Proto-Italic *-elos

Latin -lus

Latin -ellus

Latin pastellus

Latin -um

Latin pastellum

Italian pastelloder.

French pastelbor.

Romanian pastel

Borrowed from French pastel, from Italian pastello.

Noun

pastel n (plural pasteluri)

1. pastel

Declension

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	pastel	pastelul	pasteluri	pastelurile
genitive-dative	pastel	pastelului	pasteluri	pastelurilor
vocative	pastelule		pastelurilor

Spanish

Etymology

Etymology tree

Ancient Greek πάσσω (pássō)

Proto-Indo-European *-tós

Proto-Hellenic *-tós

Ancient Greek -τός (-tós)

Ancient Greek παστός (pastós)

Ancient Greek παστά (pastá)bor.

Latin pasta

Proto-Indo-European *-lós

Proto-Indo-European *-e-lós

Proto-Italic *-elos

Latin -lus

Latin -ellus

Latin pastellus

Latin -um

Latin pastellum

Italian pastelloder.

Old French pastelder.

Spanish pastel

From Old French pastel. Cognate with English pastel.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pasˈtel/ [pasˈt̪el]

• Audio (Colombia):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -el
• Syllabification: pas‧tel

Noun

pastel m (plural pasteles)

1. pastry
2. cake; pie

   Synonyms: torta, tarta

3. (art) pastel

Hyponyms

• pastel de arroz
• pastel de arroz inflado
• pastel de carne
• pastel de choclo
• pastel de crema de Boston
• pastel de cumpleaños
• pastel de fruta
• pastel de frutas
• pastel de luna
• pastel de manzana
• pastel de papa
• pastel de pollo
• pastel del pastor
• pastel invertido

Derived terms

• descubrirse el pastel
• nel pastel
• neles pasteles
• pastel de Navidad
• pastel en bote
• pastelería
• pastelero
• pastelillo
• pastelito
• pintura al pastel
• quitar el hojaldre al pastel

Further reading

• “pastel”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), 24th edition, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 30 October 2026

Anagrams

• pastle, peltas, plaste

Tagalog

Alternative forms

• pastil — obsolete

Etymology

Etymology tree

Ancient Greek πάσσω (pássō)

Proto-Indo-European *-tós

Proto-Hellenic *-tós

Ancient Greek -τός (-tós)

Ancient Greek παστός (pastós)

Ancient Greek παστά (pastá)bor.

Latin pasta

Proto-Indo-European *-lós

Proto-Indo-European *-e-lós

Proto-Italic *-elos

Latin -lus

Latin -ellus

Latin pastellus

Latin -um

Latin pastellum

Italian pastelloder.

Old French pastelder.

Spanish pastelbor.

Tagalog pastel

Borrowed from Spanish pastel, from Old French pastel, from Italian pastello, from Latin pastellum, from pastellus + -um.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /pasˈtel/ [pɐsˈt̪ɛl]
• Rhymes: -el
• Syllabification: pas‧tel

Noun

pastél (Baybayin spelling ᜉᜐ᜔ᜆᜒᜎ᜔)

1. pie (pastry)
2. (art) pastel
3. (letterpress typography) pi (metal type that has been spilled)
4. pastel (Filipino stew made with vegetables, sausages, and chicken or other meat in a creamy sauce)

Derived terms

• magpapastel
• pastilan

Related terms

• pasta
• pasteleriya

See also

• empanada

Further reading

• “pastel”, in KWF Diksiyonaryo ng Wikang Filipino, Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, 2025
• “pastel”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, 2018
• Serrano Laktaw, Pedro (1914), Diccionario tagálog-hispano [Tagalog-Spanish Dictionary] (overall work in Tagalog and Spanish), Intramuros, Manila: Ateneo de Manila., page 1043
• San Buena Ventura, Fr. Pedro de (1613), Vocabulario de lengua tagala. El romance castellano puesto primero. Primera, y segunda parte. [Vocabulary of the Tagalog language. Castilian Romance placed first. First, and second parts.]‎^[3] (overall work in Early Modern Spanish and Classical Tagalog), as directed by Gov. Gen. Juan de Silva, Pila, Laguna: La noble Villa de Pila, por Tomás Pinpin y Domingo Loag. [The noble Villa of Pila, by Tomás Pinpin and Domingo Loag.], page 469: “Paſtel) Paſtil (pc) C. comida poco vſada”
• Cuadrado Muñiz, Adolfo (1972), Hispanismos en el tagalo: diccionario de vocablos de origen español vigentes en esta lengua filipina [Hispanicisms in Tagalog: dictionary of words of Spanish origin still used in this Philippine language], Madrid: Oficina de Educación Iberoamericana [Office of Ibero-American Education], page 447