Colors in French: The Full List, and Why Marron Never Changes
All the French colors with pronunciation, plus the agreement rule everyone gets wrong: why marron and orange never change form.
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 never change form: 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 never change form: 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
Colors are adjectives and agree in gender/number like any other: un pull bleu / une robe bleue / des chaussures bleues. See French adjectives: agreement and placement for the full system.
The invariable exceptions
Colors derived from nouns - marron (chestnut) and orange (the fruit) - don’t agree: des yeux marron, des chaussures orange, because grammatically they’re still functioning as nouns being used to describe color, not true adjectives.
Compound colors never agree
Bleu clair (light blue), vert foncé (dark green) - always invariable regardless of what they’re describing, since the compound as a whole locks into a fixed form.
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?
It's grammatically still a noun (chestnut) used as a color, so it stays invariable.
How do you say light blue in French?
bleu clair - and compound colors never agree.
How do you describe eye color in French?
elle a les yeux bleus/verts/marron.
Is orange invariable too?
Yes, for the same reason as marron.
What color is doré?
Golden/gilded.