See show one's true colors on Wiktionary
{
"etymology_text": "Nautical origin. The word colors (or colours) refers to the flag or ensign which every ship is obliged to fly at sea. It was once a common deception of pirates to “sail under false colours” and fly a friendly flag in order to get within close range of potential targets (other ships) without exciting suspicion. Only when the pirate ship reached close quarters would it unfurl its true colours.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "shows one's true colors",
"tags": [
"present",
"singular",
"third-person"
]
},
{
"form": "showing one's true colors",
"tags": [
"participle",
"present"
]
},
{
"form": "showed one's true colors",
"tags": [
"past"
]
},
{
"form": "shown one's true colors",
"tags": [
"participle",
"past"
]
},
{
"form": "showed one's true colors",
"tags": [
"US",
"also",
"participle",
"past"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "show<,,,shown:US also> one's true colors"
},
"expansion": "show one's true colors (third-person singular simple present shows one's true colors, present participle showing one's true colors, simple past showed one's true colors, past participle shown one's true colors or (US also) showed one's true colors)",
"name": "en-verb"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "verb",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [
"Entries with incorrect language header",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Entries with translation boxes",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Mandarin terms with non-redundant manual transliterations",
"parents": [
"Terms with non-redundant manual transliterations",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with 1 entry",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with entries",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Czech translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with French translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with German translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Hungarian translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Italian translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Malay translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Mandarin translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Norwegian translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Polish translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Portuguese translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Russian translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Spanish translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Swedish translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Thai translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To reveal how one really is, as opposed to how one has been portrayed or after having been deceptively and deliberately misleading."
],
"id": "en-show_one's_true_colors-en-verb-SAThmexB",
"links": [
[
"reveal",
"reveal"
],
[
"really",
"really"
],
[
"as opposed to",
"as opposed to"
],
[
"portrayed",
"portrayed"
],
[
"deceptively",
"deceptively"
],
[
"deliberately",
"deliberately"
],
[
"misleading",
"misleading"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(idiomatic, informal) To reveal how one really is, as opposed to how one has been portrayed or after having been deceptively and deliberately misleading."
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "break cover"
},
{
"word": "show one's true stripes"
},
{
"word": "show one's true colours"
}
],
"tags": [
"idiomatic",
"informal"
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"roman": "lùchū zhēnmiànmù",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "露出真面目"
},
{
"code": "cs",
"lang": "Czech",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "vybarvit"
},
{
"code": "cs",
"lang": "Czech",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "odhalit své ledví"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "näyttää todellinen karvansa"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "se montrer sous son vrai jour"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "montrer son vrai visage"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "Farbe bekennen"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "sein wahres Gesicht zeigen"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "kimutatja a foga fehérjét"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "megmutatja valódi arcát"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "színt vall"
},
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "mostrare il proprio vero volto"
},
{
"code": "ms",
"lang": "Malay",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "tunjuk belang"
},
{
"code": "no",
"lang": "Norwegian",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "vise sin sanne natur"
},
{
"code": "no",
"lang": "Norwegian",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "stikke hestehoven fram"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "pokazywać prawdziwą twarz"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"tags": [
"perfective"
],
"word": "pokazać prawdziwą twarz"
},
{
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "mostrar sua verdadeira cara"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"note": "показа́ть истинное лицо́ (pokazátʹ istinnoje licó, literally “show one's true face”)",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "mostrar su verdadera cara"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "mostrar sus verdaderas cartas"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "mostrarse tal cual es"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "vérsele las costuras"
},
{
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "visa sitt rätta ansikte"
},
{
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "visa sitt rätta jag"
},
{
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "visa sin sanna natur"
},
{
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "bekänna färg"
},
{
"code": "th",
"lang": "Thai",
"roman": "ɔ̀ɔk-laai",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "ออกลาย"
},
{
"code": "th",
"lang": "Thai",
"roman": "pə̌əi-tâat-tɛ́ɛ",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "เผยธาตุแท้"
},
{
"code": "th",
"lang": "Thai",
"roman": "sà-dɛɛng-gam-pʉ̂ʉt",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "แสดงกำพืด"
}
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"audio": "En-au-show one's true colors.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/c/cf/En-au-show_one%27s_true_colors.ogg/En-au-show_one%27s_true_colors.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/En-au-show_one%27s_true_colors.ogg"
}
],
"word": "show one's true colors"
}
{
"etymology_text": "Nautical origin. The word colors (or colours) refers to the flag or ensign which every ship is obliged to fly at sea. It was once a common deception of pirates to “sail under false colours” and fly a friendly flag in order to get within close range of potential targets (other ships) without exciting suspicion. Only when the pirate ship reached close quarters would it unfurl its true colours.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "shows one's true colors",
"tags": [
"present",
"singular",
"third-person"
]
},
{
"form": "showing one's true colors",
"tags": [
"participle",
"present"
]
},
{
"form": "showed one's true colors",
"tags": [
"past"
]
},
{
"form": "shown one's true colors",
"tags": [
"participle",
"past"
]
},
{
"form": "showed one's true colors",
"tags": [
"US",
"also",
"participle",
"past"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "show<,,,shown:US also> one's true colors"
},
"expansion": "show one's true colors (third-person singular simple present shows one's true colors, present participle showing one's true colors, simple past showed one's true colors, past participle shown one's true colors or (US also) showed one's true colors)",
"name": "en-verb"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "verb",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English idioms",
"English informal terms",
"English lemmas",
"English multiword terms",
"English verbs",
"Entries with translation boxes",
"Mandarin terms with non-redundant manual transliterations",
"Pages with 1 entry",
"Pages with entries",
"Terms with Czech translations",
"Terms with Finnish translations",
"Terms with French translations",
"Terms with German translations",
"Terms with Hungarian translations",
"Terms with Italian translations",
"Terms with Malay translations",
"Terms with Mandarin translations",
"Terms with Norwegian translations",
"Terms with Polish translations",
"Terms with Portuguese translations",
"Terms with Russian translations",
"Terms with Spanish translations",
"Terms with Swedish translations",
"Terms with Thai translations"
],
"glosses": [
"To reveal how one really is, as opposed to how one has been portrayed or after having been deceptively and deliberately misleading."
],
"links": [
[
"reveal",
"reveal"
],
[
"really",
"really"
],
[
"as opposed to",
"as opposed to"
],
[
"portrayed",
"portrayed"
],
[
"deceptively",
"deceptively"
],
[
"deliberately",
"deliberately"
],
[
"misleading",
"misleading"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(idiomatic, informal) To reveal how one really is, as opposed to how one has been portrayed or after having been deceptively and deliberately misleading."
],
"tags": [
"idiomatic",
"informal"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"audio": "En-au-show one's true colors.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/c/cf/En-au-show_one%27s_true_colors.ogg/En-au-show_one%27s_true_colors.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/En-au-show_one%27s_true_colors.ogg"
}
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "break cover"
},
{
"word": "show one's true stripes"
},
{
"word": "show one's true colours"
}
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"roman": "lùchū zhēnmiànmù",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "露出真面目"
},
{
"code": "cs",
"lang": "Czech",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "vybarvit"
},
{
"code": "cs",
"lang": "Czech",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "odhalit své ledví"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "näyttää todellinen karvansa"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "se montrer sous son vrai jour"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "montrer son vrai visage"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "Farbe bekennen"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "sein wahres Gesicht zeigen"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "kimutatja a foga fehérjét"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "megmutatja valódi arcát"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "színt vall"
},
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "mostrare il proprio vero volto"
},
{
"code": "ms",
"lang": "Malay",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "tunjuk belang"
},
{
"code": "no",
"lang": "Norwegian",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "vise sin sanne natur"
},
{
"code": "no",
"lang": "Norwegian",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "stikke hestehoven fram"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "pokazywać prawdziwą twarz"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"tags": [
"perfective"
],
"word": "pokazać prawdziwą twarz"
},
{
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "mostrar sua verdadeira cara"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"note": "показа́ть истинное лицо́ (pokazátʹ istinnoje licó, literally “show one's true face”)",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "mostrar su verdadera cara"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "mostrar sus verdaderas cartas"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "mostrarse tal cual es"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "vérsele las costuras"
},
{
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "visa sitt rätta ansikte"
},
{
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "visa sitt rätta jag"
},
{
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "visa sin sanna natur"
},
{
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "bekänna färg"
},
{
"code": "th",
"lang": "Thai",
"roman": "ɔ̀ɔk-laai",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "ออกลาย"
},
{
"code": "th",
"lang": "Thai",
"roman": "pə̌əi-tâat-tɛ́ɛ",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "เผยธาตุแท้"
},
{
"code": "th",
"lang": "Thai",
"roman": "sà-dɛɛng-gam-pʉ̂ʉt",
"sense": "to reveal how one really is",
"word": "แสดงกำพืด"
}
],
"word": "show one's true colors"
}
Download raw JSONL data for show one's true colors meaning in All languages combined (6.5kB)
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable All languages combined dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-01-15 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-01-01 using wiktextract (b941637 and 4230888). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.