Colors in French: The Full List, and When Marron Stays Invariable
French colors with pronunciation and agreement: marron and orange stay invariable when describing a noun, unlike ordinary color adjectives.
The main French colors are rouge (red), bleu (blue), vert (green), jaune (yellow), noir (black), blanc (white), gris (grey), rose (pink), violet (purple) and orange. Most agree like regular adjectives, but marron and orange stay invariable when describing another noun: des yeux marron, not marrons.
Quick answer
The main French colors are rouge (red), bleu (blue), vert (green), jaune (yellow), noir (black), blanc (white), gris (grey), rose (pink), violet (purple) and orange. Most agree like regular adjectives, but marron and orange stay invariable when describing another noun: des yeux marron, not marrons.
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The full color list
| Color | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| rouge | /roozh/ | red |
| bleu | /bluh/ | blue |
| vert | /vehr/ | green |
| jaune | /zhohn/ | yellow |
| noir | /nwahr/ | black |
| blanc | /blahn/ | white |
| gris | /gree/ | grey |
| rose | /rohz/ | pink |
| violet | /vyoh-LEH/ | purple |
| orange | /oh-RAHNZH/ | orange |
| marron | /mah-ROHN/ | brown |
| beige | /behzh/ | beige |
| turquoise | /tür-KWAHZ/ | turquoise |
| doré | /doh-RAY/ | golden |
| argenté | /ar-zhahn-TAY/ | silver |
Color agreement: the regular rule
Most simple color adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun: un pull bleu / une robe bleue / des chaussures bleues. See French adjectives: agreement and placement for the full system.
The invariable exceptions
Nouns used as color adjectives, such as marron (chestnut), orange (the fruit) and turquoise, stay invariable: des yeux marron, des chaussures orange. Think “the color of a chestnut/an orange.”
Some noun-derived words have become ordinary adjectives and do agree, including rose, mauve, pourpre, écarlate, fauve, incarnat and vermeil: des robes roses.
Do not confuse describing an object with naming a color. Simple color nouns take plural endings: la gamme des oranges, des marrons (brown shades). The fruit and chestnut nouns also vary: des oranges, des marrons.
Compound color adjectives stay invariable
When a color expression has a qualifier specifying its shade, both words stay invariable as adjectives: des robes bleu clair (light blue dresses), des tissus vert foncé (dark green fabrics). Contrast nouns naming shades: des bleus clairs, where clairs agrees with bleus.
Describing things with color
Common pattern for eye and hair color: elle a les yeux bleus (she has blue eyes), il a les cheveux bruns (he has brown hair) - note bruns agrees normally, since it’s not one of the invariable exceptions.
Colors with correct agreement
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Questions about this note
Why doesn't marron agree in French?
When it describes another noun, marron is a noun used as a color adjective: des yeux marron. As a noun naming shades or chestnuts, it can take a plural s.
How do you say light blue in French?
Bleu clair. As a compound color adjective it stays invariable: des robes bleu clair. When naming shades, use noun agreement: des bleus clairs.
How do you describe eye color in French?
elle a les yeux bleus/verts/marron.
Is orange invariable too?
Yes when describing a noun: des chaussures orange. The noun can be plural: des oranges (fruit), or la gamme des oranges (shades).
What color is doré?
Golden/gilded.