Are you curious to know how to say the colors in French? Whether you are shopping for clothes or ordering food in a restaurant, knowing at least the most common colors is very useful to describe them quickly. Although it is easy to learn and memorize the words that describe the colors, some grammar rules are to follow. If you are ready to learn that and more, keep reading below!
Some of the French color words are used worldwide to explain things we use or see every day, and you could already know some of them. For example, you may have heard about a “film noir” or “have carte blanche.” Adding a few more words to your vocabulary can make you sound sophisticated and elegant. Interesting, right?
The Most Common Colors In French
French colors can change slightly if they are paired with feminine nouns or masculine nouns. But, there are always some exceptions to this rule.
Here are the most common colors in French:
- Rouge – Red
- Bleu (male)/Bleue (female) – Blue
- Vert (male)/Verte (female) – Green
- Orange – Orange
- Jaune – Yellow
- Noir (male)/Noire (Female) – Black
- Rose – Pink
- Violet (male)/Violette (female) – Purple
- Blanc (male)/Blanche (female) – White
- Gris (male)/Grise (feminine) – Gray
- Marron or Brun – Brown
- Foncé – Dark
- Multicolore – Multicolored
- La couleur – Colors
- Cyan – Cyan
- Magenta – Magenta
- Argent – Silver
- Blue marine – Navy Blue
- Bordeaux – Maroon
- Beige – Beige
- La pêche – Peach
- Chaux – Lime
- Les couleurs – Colors
Sentences Related To Colors In French
Examples of the use of color words in French:
- L’herbe est verte – The grass is green
- Avoir la main verte – To have a green hand (slang expression that means to be a good gardener)
- Avoir carte blanche – To have carte blanche ( slang expression that means to do all you want)
- Le tapis rouge – The red carpet
- L’or noir – Black gold (petroleum)
- La vie en rose – It translates to “life in pink” (slang expression that means to see life positively)
- Les Bleus – It translates to “blues” (it usually refers to the national soccer team because the primary color of the competition jersey is blue)
- Une maison blanche – White house
- Petit chaperon rouge – Little Red Riding Hood
- Maillot jaune – Yellow jersey
- Vin blanc – White wine
- Yeux marrons – Brown eyes
French Grammar Rule On How To Say The Colors In French
It is not enough to learn French colors. There are also a few things to keep in mind when deciding which words to use because color adjectives change when:
- Are used with the feminine form
- Are used with masculine nouns
- Are used in the plural form
In general, all color words are masculine nouns. For example, you would say:
- Le rose
- Le rouge
- Le bleu
When colors are adjectives, they have to agree with the name they are paired with. For example, the word “black” in French is Noir, but if you pair it with a feminine name, it becomes “Noire.”
As a general rule, changing the gender from masculine to feminine is only necessary to add an “e” at the end of a word. For example:
“Le Gris” (male)becomes La Grise (feminine).
While the general rule to make a noun in plural form, you have to add an “s” at the end of the word. For example:
“Maison” (home) becomes Maisons (homes).
Like in any other language, there are exceptions in the French language. In fact, the following two words do not change with the gender:
- Orange (Orange)
- Marron (Brown)
The other thing to know is that the colors in french are placed after the noun. For example:
- Le stylo rouge (the red pen)
Popular Expressions With Colors In French
Learning French colors can be helpful to describe things, but what about learning some great expressions to impress others with your knowledge?
Here are some useful French expressions:
- Un jaune d’œuf – egg yolk (also used to indicate the yellow part of the egg)
- Un citron vert – A lime
- Je suis vert de jalousie – I am green with envy
- Le rosé – Rose wine
- Vin rouge – Red wine
- Le tapis rouge – The red carpet
- Noir et blanc – Black and white
- Dans le rouge – Being in trouble or having gone over the bank account limit
- Verres teintés roses – Rose tinted glasses
- De quelle couleur est…? – What color is…?
- Gilets Jaunes – Yellow vest
- Je suis rouge comme une tomate – I’m red as a tomato
The Symbolisms Of The French National Colors
French national colors are white, blue, and red. The national colors were seen for the first time in 1789 after the French revolution, where red was the color of Paris and white was the color of the royal House of Bourbon.
White is the symbol of purity, red is the color of passion, and blue is the color of bravery and dedication. Overall, the French flag symbolizes national unity and that all people are meant to be equals.
The French flag was officially adopted in 1794 to represent the value of the French revolution, which were equality, fraternity, democracy, and liberty.
Would you like to learn how to speak French fluently?
Learn French With Ling App
If you want to learn more languages or if you want to learn more about the French pronunciation, then you have arrived in the right place. The solution is to use Ling App by Simya Solutions.
It is an app that provides tons of features to help you learn a new language. In addition, it offers the possibility of learning more than 60 languages from a mobile device or desktop.
If you want to know more about French, check out our great blog posts: How To Say Happy New Year and Introduce Yourself In Frech. What are you waiting for? Download it from App Store and Play Store for free!
