Shades and hues in French allow you to describe colors more precisely, including lighter, darker, or more intense variants. This vocabulary includes both nouns for specific color variations and adjectives that modify colors.
Color Variations
These are common French nouns for specific color variations, as well as the corresponding English terms and example sentences.
French Nouns for Shades and Hues
| French Singular | French Plural | English Singular | English Plural | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| une nuance | des nuances | a shade / a hue | shades / hues | Cette peinture a plusieurs nuances de bleu. | This paint has several shades of blue. |
| un ton | des tons | a tone | tones | Le ton de sa peau est très clair. | Her skin tone is very light. |
| une teinte | des teintes | a tint | tints | J'aime cette teinte de rose. | I like this shade of pink. |
| un dégradé | des dégradés | a gradient | gradients | Le dégradé va du rouge au jaune. | The gradient goes from red to yellow. |
| un éclat | des éclats | a gleam / a sparkle | gleams / sparkles | L'éclat doré est magnifique. | The golden gleam is beautiful. |
Modifiers
These French adjectives are commonly used to modify colors, along with their English counterparts and example sentences.
French Adjectives for Modifying Colors
| French Singular | French Plural | English Singular | English Plural | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| clair / claire | clairs / claires | light | light | Un bleu clair est apaisant. | A light blue is soothing. |
| foncé / foncée | foncés / foncées | dark | dark | Elle porte un vert foncé. | She is wearing dark green. |
| vif / vive | vifs / vives | bright | bright | Un jaune vif attire l’attention. | A bright yellow attracts attention. |
| pastel | pastels | pastel | pastels | Les couleurs pastels sont douces. | Pastel colors are soft. |
| brillant / brillante | brillants / brillantes | shiny / bright | shiny / bright | Ce rouge est brillant. | This red is shiny. |
| terne | ternes | dull | dull | La couleur est un peu terne. | The color is a bit dull. |
The color is a bit _____.
terne
« Terne » means 'dull,' fitting the description of a color lacking brightness. The other options mean 'light' (clair / claire), 'shiny' (brillant / brillante), and 'bright/vivid' (vif / vive), which contradict the idea of dullness.
This red is _____.
brillant / brillante
« Brillant / brillante » means 'shiny' or 'bright,' which matches the description of the red color. « Terne » means 'dull,' « vif / vive » means 'bright' in a vivid sense, and « foncé / foncée » means 'dark,' but 'brillant' is the best fit for 'shiny.'
Examples
These are complete French color phrases using the nouns and adjectives from above, along with their English translations.
French Color Phrases
| French Singular | French Plural | English Singular | English Plural | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| un bleu clair | des bleus clairs | a light blue | light blues | Je préfère un bleu clair. | I prefer a light blue. |
| un vert foncé | des verts foncés | a dark green | dark greens | Le jardin est plein de verts foncés. | The garden is full of dark greens. |
| un rose pastel | des roses pastels | a pastel pink | pastel pinks | Elle choisit un rose pastel. | She chooses a pastel pink. |
| un jaune vif | des jaunes vifs | a bright yellow | bright yellows | Un jaune vif illumine la pièce. | A bright yellow lights up the room. |
| un rouge brillant | des rouges brillants | a shiny red | shiny reds | Le rouge brillant est éclatant. | The shiny red is dazzling. |
Shades and hues in French help you describe colors with more nuance, whether you’re talking about painting, fashion, or everyday life.
Flashcards (1 of 16)
- English Singular: a shade / a hue
- English Plural: shades / hues
- English Example: This paint has several shades of blue.
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
