So, we've studied the clothes in French, the adjectives of texture, the shoes, so now, let's look at yet another clothe related essentials: the colors.

I will list here the common colors. Of course, we also use “abricot” or “turquoise”, "ambre" or "avocat"... If you are a color fan, check out: http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_de_couleurs

Les couleurs - colors

• Beige - beige
• Noir - black
• Bleu - blue
• Brown - marron (invariable)

• Golden - doré
• Green - vert
• Grey - gris
• Multicolore- multicolored
• Orange - orange (invariable)
• Pink - rose
• Purple - violet (violette)
• Red - rouge
• Silver - argenté
• Transparent - transparent
• White - blanc (blanche)
• Yellow - jaune

Nuances

To nuance these adjectives, we also use these other adjectives:

• Light - clair
  
• Dark - fonce´
  
• Bright – Vif (feminine vive)
  
• Pale - pa^le
  

French Color Adjectives and Names of Stones, Fruits, Flowers etc...

Adjectives coming from nouns of fruits, precious stones or flowers are invariable, in general. Some common colors coming from fruits/ stones / flowers include:

• Marron (horse chestnut)
• Noisette (hazelnut)
• Olive (olive)
• Citron (lemon)
• Orange (orange)
• Abricot (apricot)
• Lavande (lavender)
• Fuschia (fuschia)
• Turquoise (turquoise)
• Brique (brick)
• Bronze (bronze)
• And the list goes on and on...

so, since these do not change, you would say:

• Des cravates orange – orange ties (not oranges)
• Des yeux marron – brown eyes (not marrons)
• Des yeux noisette – hazel eyes (not noisettes)
• Des fleurs fuschia  - fuschia color flowers (not fuschia/e/s)

• Des chaussures citron - lemon color shoes (not citron/e/s)
• Des  pantalons cerise - cherry color pants (not cerises)
•  

Except for “pourpre (purple red), mauve, rose, e´carlate (scarlet red), fauve (fawn), incarnat (crimson red)” which agree with the number and gender of the noun they modify.

• Des chaussures roses – pink shoes

?Why are these exceptions? I don't know, it makes very little sense if you ask me... and many French people may not know these exceptions... or the rule itself actually!

I would add that "une violette" is a flower, but we do say "des chaussures violettes"... so.... The rule may not be super consistent!

When Several Adjectives Form One Single Color in French

When a color uses several colors, or an adjective of nuance, then the color adjectives are invariable.

• Une Chemise bleu vert (not bleue verte)
• Des yeux gris bleu (not gris bleus) 
• Une robe vert pa^le. (not verte pa^le) 

 

Voilà, now you are ready to practice this all in my "learn French In Context Lesson" - Shopping for Clothes in a French Shop - Au magasin. 

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