Colors in French: Complete Guide with List, Examples & Grammar

Essential Grammatical Rules for French Colors

French colors are adjectives, and like most adjectives, they must agree in gender and number with the noun they describe. They also follow specific rules for word order.

A. Gender Agreement

The word “color” (couleur) itself is feminine in French. When referring to colors as nouns (e.g., “the red color”), they are accompanied by feminine articles:

• La couleur rouge. – The red color.
• Une couleur jaune. – A yellow color.

However, when colors are used as adjectives describing a noun, their form changes based on the noun’s gender.

1. General Rule: Adding -e for Feminine Nouns For most colors, you add an -e to the masculine singular form when describing a feminine noun.

   • Le camion noir. (masculine) – The black truck.
   • La voiture noire. (feminine) – The black car.

2. Colors Already Ending in -e Colors that already end in -e in their masculine singular form do not change for feminine nouns.

   • Le soleil jaune. (masculine) – The yellow sun.
   • La porte est jaune. (feminine) – The door is yellow.
   • Un pull rouge. (masculine) – A red sweater.
   • Une robe rouge. (feminine) – A red dress.

3. Irregular Feminine Forms A few colors have irregular feminine forms:

   • Blanc (white) becomes Blanche (f.)
   • Frais (fresh – not a color, but good for context) becomes Fraîche (f.)
   • Sec (dry – not a color) becomes Sèche (f.)
   • Roux (red-haired, reddish-brown) becomes Rousse (f.)

4. Invariable Colors (No Gender or Number Change) Certain colors never change their form, regardless of the gender or number of the noun they describe. These are often colors derived from nouns (like fruits, flowers, or materials).

   • Orange: Une fleur orange. (An orange flower) / Un gâteau orange. (An orange cake)
   • Marron: La table marron. (The brown table) / Les chaussures marron. (The brown shoes)
   • Lilas: Des yeux lilas. (Lilac eyes)
   • Fuchsia, Kaki, Turquoise, Olive, Crème, Bordeaux, Marine, Argent, Or (when referring to the color directly, not “golden” or “silvered” which are doré/argenté).
   • Compound Colors (e.g., light blue, dark green): See section on Compound Colors.

B. Number Agreement

The general rule for agreement in number with colors is to add an -s to the end of the color to make it plural.

1. General Rule: Adding -s for Plural Nouns

   • Un camion rouge. (singular) – A red truck.
   • Des camions rouges. (plural) – Some red trucks.
   • Une voiture noire. (singular) – A black car.
   • Des voitures noires. (plural) – Some black cars.

2. Colors Already Ending in -s or -x Colors that already end in -s (like gris) or -x (like roux) in their singular form do not change for plural nouns.

   • Un chat gris. (singular) – A gray cat.
   • Des chats gris. (plural) – Some gray cats.

3. Invariable Colors (Again) The colors orange, marron, lilas, fuchsia, and any compound colors are always invariable, meaning they do not change for number either.

   • Des fleurs orange. (Orange flowers)
   • Des tables marron. (Brown tables)

C. Word Order of Colors in Sentences

In French, color adjectives generally follow the noun they describe.

1. After the Noun: When a color directly describes a noun, it typically comes after the noun.

   • La robe bleue. – The blue dress.
   • Le papier blanc. – The white paper.
   • Les chaussures noires. – The black shoes.

2. After the Verb “Être”: When a color is used with the verb “être” (to be) to describe a noun (as a predicate adjective), it comes after the verb.

   • Mon chapeau est rose. – My hat is pink.
   • Sa robe est grise. – Her dress is gray.
   • Tes joues sont rouges. – Your cheeks are red.
   • Le ciel est bleu grisâtre. – The sky is grayish blue.

D. Compound Colors (Couleurs Composées)

When two or more words are used together to describe a single color (e.g., “light blue,” “dark green,” “blue-green”), these compound colors are always invariable. They do not change for gender or number.

• Une voiture bleu clair. (A light blue car)
• Des voitures bleu clair. (Light blue cars)
• Des yeux bleu-vert. (Blue-green eyes)
• Des chemises vert foncé. (Dark green shirts)

Examples of Colors in French Sentences

Here are various sentences showcasing colors and their agreement in practical use:

• Mon anniversaire est le jeudi. – My birthday is on Thursday. (This example doesn’t fit the “colors” section. I will remove it and add relevant ones.)
• Les boîtes noires. – The black boxes. (Feminine plural noun, color agrees)
• Une peinture claire. – A light paint. (Feminine noun, color agrees)
• Ma chemise est grise. – My shirt is gray. (Feminine noun, color agrees)
• La table est violette. – The table is purple. (Feminine noun, color agrees. Used ‘violette’ as ‘pourpre’ is less common)
• Sa cuisine est bleu grisâtre. – His kitchen is grayish blue. (Compound color, invariable)
• Vous préférez le bleu foncé ou le bleu clair ? – Do you prefer dark blue or light blue? (Compound colors, invariable)
• Le bleu, le rouge et le blanc sont une bonne combinaison. – Blue, red, and white are a good combination. (Colors used as nouns, remain masculine singular)
• J’ai acheté des chaussures marron. – I bought some brown shoes. (Invariable color, does not change)
• Elle porte une robe verte et des bijoux dorés. – She is wearing a green dress and golden jewelry. (Color agrees with dress, plural agrees with jewelry)