Colors are an integral part of descriptive language, and the colors in French are no exception. Whether you want to describe someone’s eyes, play “I spy,” or simply add more detailed language to your vocabulary, we’ve got you covered!
In this post, we’ll jump straight in to learn the words for the French colors, from your classic rainbow colors to a few more nuanced colors. Then we’ll go into some useful related words, grammar rules, and a few color references found in everyday French life. Let’s go!
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Colors in French
Common colors
| Color in English | Color in French |
| Red | Rouge |
| Orange | Orange |
| Yellow | Jaune |
| Blue | Bleu(e) |
| Purple | Violet(te) |
| Black | Noir(e) |
| White | Blanc(he) |
| Brown | Marron |
| Pink | Rose |
| Gray | Gris(e) |
Nuanced colors
| Color in English | Color in French |
| Gold | Doré(e) |
| Silver | Argent |
| Bronze | Bronze |
| Champagne (off-white) | Champagne |
| Beige | Beige |
| Chocolate brown | Chocolat |
| Scarlet | Écarlate |
| Mint green | Vert menthe |
| Olive green | Olive |
| Sky blue | Bleu ciel |
| Lavender | Lavande |
Grammar rules
French color agreement
You’ll notice in the tables above that several of our French colors have additional letters following them in parentheses. These letters represent the feminine form of the color’s adjective. The colors in French generally function as adjectives, and just like other adjectives in French, the color must agree with the noun it describes in gender and number. To make most adjectives plural, we just add an -s.
- Regarde ces imperméables jaunes ! – Look at these yellow raincoats!
- Les pierres blanches couvrent la rue. – The white rocks cover the road.
There are a few exceptions to these rules, called invariable colors: colors that will never change for gender or number. Some of these invariable colors include marron, orange, argent, bronze, champagne, and chocolat.
French colors as nouns
Sometimes, you can use colors in French as nouns instead of adjectives. This is the case, for example, when answering the question “Quelle est ta couleur préférée?” – “What is your favorite color?.”
Generally speaking, all colors in French are masculine nouns (le rouge, le jaune). On the other hand, the word for color in French is feminine: la couleur.
French hair colors
Similarly to in English, when describing hair colors in French we have a few particular color words that differ from the usual adjectives we saw above. Here’s the table of terms for hair colors in French:
| Hair color in English | Hair color in French |
| Blond | Blond(e) |
| Brunette | Brun(e) |
| Chestnut | Châtain |
| Red | Roux (Rousse) |
| Black | Noir(e) |
| White | Blanc(he) |
When describing a person in French, the adjective will agree with the person’s gender. However, if you are describing a person’s hair in French, the adjective will agree with the word hair, which is masculine plural: les cheveux. Note that unlike in English where hair is considered singular, les cheveux are always plural:
- Eloïse est blonde. Ses cheveux sont blonds. – Eloïse is blond. Her hair is blond.
Useful adverbs
Here we present additional vocabulary to add precision when describing colors in French. As for word placement when using adverbs to describe colors, the adverb comes after the adjective.
| Adverb in English | Adverb in French |
| Light | Clair |
| Dark | Foncé |
| Bright, vibrant | Vif |
| Faded | Fade |
| Pastel | Pastel |
| Fluorescent | Fluo |
Note that when you use these adverbs to describe color, neither word will change to agree with gender or number.
- Mon copain a les yeux bleu clair. – My boyfriend has light blue eyes.
- Je porte une jupe vert fluo. – I am wearing a fluorescent green skirt.
-âtre: -ish
A useful suffix to use with French colors is -âtre, which loosely translates to -ish in English. However, in French, this suffix carries a more pejorative or negative connotation than it does in English. For example, if you describe something as jaunâtre, it could be something that is yellowish, kind of yellow, almost yellow, or an unpleasant shade of yellow.
Color-related phrases in French
There are many idiomatic phrases in French that reference colors! You may have heard some of them, since a few have even been adopted into English. Here are a few of the most common phrases that reference French colors:
- La vie en rose: Literally “life in pink,” this phrase means to view the world through rose-colored glasses, or to only view the good things in life.
- Les Bleus: This expression references the French national soccer team and literally means “the Blues.” It came into use because of the team’s traditionally blue uniforms.
- Carte blanche: This phrase, literally meaning “white card,” means to have total freedom in a situation with no limitations on one’s actions.
- Un rire jaune: This expression literally means a “yellow laugh” and is used to describe a laugh that is forced or unnatural, often when someone is uncomfortable.
Conclusion
In this post, we introduced the common and nuanced words for colors in French, as well as grammar rules for how to use colors as adjectives and nouns. We also threw in some adverbs to modify colors for an even more detailed description, along with the common suffix -âtre to describe French colors similarly to the English -ish. Finally, we included a few idioms that include French colors.
Now that your French vocabulary is no longer black and white, we’re giving you the green light to go out and paint the town red with your colorful descriptions!