Learn the most commonly used color words in French, along with their English equivalents and example sentences. This guide also shows how to modify color adjectives to agree with masculine and feminine nouns.

Singular Forms

Here are the basic singular forms of the most common colors in French. These adjectives are used to describe a single noun (either masculine or feminine).

French Singular	English Singular	French Example (Masc.)	English Example (Masc.)	French Example (Fem.)	English Example (Fem.)
rouge	red	Le chat est rouge.	The cat is red.	La rose est rouge.	The rose is red.
bleu	blue	Le ciel est bleu.	The sky is blue.	La mer est bleue.	The sea is blue.
vert	green	Le jardin est vert.	The garden is green.	La feuille est verte.	The leaf is green.
jaune	yellow	Le citron est jaune.	The lemon is yellow.	La fleur est jaune.	The flower is yellow.
noir	black	Le chien est noir.	The dog is black.	La nuit est noire.	The night is black.
blanc	white	Le livre est blanc.	The book is white.	La table est blanche.	The table is white.
gris	gray	Le nuage est gris.	The cloud is gray.	La pierre est grise.	The stone is gray.
marron	brown	Le chapeau est marron.	The hat is brown.	La valise est marron.	The suitcase is brown.
rose	pink	Le ballon est rose.	The balloon is pink.	La robe est rose.	The dress is pink.
violet	purple	Le pull est violet.	The sweater is purple.	La jupe est violette.	The skirt is purple.

Plural Forms

To describe multiple nouns, add -s to the color adjective in both masculine and feminine forms (feminine forms already have -e before adding -s).

French Plural	English Plural	French Example (Masc.)	English Example (Masc.)	French Example (Fem.)	English Example (Fem.)
rouges	reds	Les ballons rouges.	The red balloons.	Les roses rouges.	The red roses.
bleus	blues	Les ciels bleus.	The blue skies.	Les mers bleues.	The blue seas.
verts	greens	Les jardins verts.	The green gardens.	Les feuilles vertes.	The green leaves.
jaunes	yellows	Les citrons jaunes.	The yellow lemons.	Les fleurs jaunes.	The yellow flowers.
noirs	blacks	Les chiens noirs.	The black dogs.	Les nuits noires.	The black nights.
blancs	whites	Les livres blancs.	The white books.	Les tables blanches.	The white tables.
gris	grays	Les nuages gris.	The gray clouds.	Les pierres grises.	The gray stones.
marron	browns	Les chapeaux marron.	The brown hats.	Les valises marron.	The brown suitcases.
roses	pinks	Les ballons roses.	The pink balloons.	Les robes roses.	The pink dresses.
violets	purples	Les pulls violets.	The purple sweaters.	Les jupes violettes.	The purple skirts.

Note: Marron (brown) is invariable and does not change in plural or feminine forms.

Color Agreement Rules

French color adjectives must agree with the noun they describe:

Masculine singular: base form (e.g., bleu)
Feminine singular: add -e (e.g., bleue)
Masculine plural: add -s (e.g., bleus)
Feminine plural: add -es (e.g., bleues)

Exceptions:

Colors ending in -e (like jaune, rose) have the same form for masculine and feminine singular.
Marron* (brown) and some other color nouns are invariable.
Violet becomes violette in feminine form (double -t*).

What ending do you add to a masculine singular color adjective to make it feminine singular?

-t

-e

-s

-es

-e

Add -e to the masculine singular form to create the feminine singular form (e.g., bleu → bleue).

Using Colors in Sentences

You can place color adjectives after the noun. Here are some examples demonstrating agreement:

French Singular	English Singular	French Plural	English Plural
La voiture est rouge.	The car is red.	Les voitures sont rouges.	The cars are red.
Le ciel est bleu.	The sky is blue.	Les ciels sont bleus.	The skies are blue.
La fleur est jaune.	The flower is yellow.	Les fleurs sont jaunes.	The flowers are yellow.
Le chat est noir.	The cat is black.	Les chats sont noirs.	The cats are black.
La robe est blanche.	The dress is white.	Les robes sont blanches.	The dresses are white.

Where do color adjectives usually appear in French sentences?

At the end of the sentence.

After the noun.

Before the noun.

At the beginning of the sentence.

After the noun.

Most French color adjectives follow the noun they describe (e.g., la voiture rouge).

Colors as Nouns

Colors can also function as nouns in French, especially when referring to paint, dyes, or general color concepts.

French Example	English Example
Le rouge est vif.	Red is bright.
Le bleu est apaisant.	Blue is calming.
Le vert est symbole de nature.	Green is a symbol of nature.

When used as nouns, colors are always masculine singular and preceded by le.

Common Color-Related Expressions

Here are some everyday French expressions using basic colors:

French Expression	English Meaning
Voir la vie en rose	To see life through rose-colored glasses
Être noir de monde	To be packed with people (literally: black with people)
Avoir une peur bleue	To be very scared (literally: to have a blue fear)
Mettre au vert	To go on a retreat (literally: to go to the green)
Faire blanche	To make a clean slate

Summary

Basic colors must agree in gender and number with the nouns they describe.
Most colors add -e for feminine and -s for plural.
Marron* is invariable.
Colors usually follow the noun in French.
Colors can also be used as masculine singular nouns when referring to color concepts.

Flashcards (1 of 33)

English Singular: red
English Example (Masc.): The cat is red.
English Example (Fem.): The rose is red.

Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025

French

Basic Colors