Short answer: The colours you are most likely to need in French are rouge (red), bleu (blue), vert (green), jaune (yellow), noir (black) and blanc (white). Two things differ from English. Colour words normally come after the noun, so “the red chair” is la chaise rouge. Additionally, most colours change with the gender of the noun they describe. For example, vert becomes verte and blanc becomes blanche, although rouge, jaune and rose stay the same.
This guide gives fourteen French colours with their masculine and feminine forms, a beginner pronunciation guide, and the origin of each word. It then explains why a handful of colours do not change at all, such as marron and orange. The guide then finishes with the questions learners ask most often.
Below is a table detailing several different colours, their masculine and feminine forms, how to pronounce them, and their origin.
| English | French (masculine) | French (feminine) | Pronunciation | Origin |
| Red | Rogue | Rogue | roozh | Comes from the Latin word ”rubeus”, which means “red” or “ruddy” |
| Blue | Bleu | Bleue | bluh (pronounced the same for both masculine and feminine) | Comes from a Frankish word “blāu” meaning “blue” |
| Green | Vert | Verte | vehr (masculine) vairt (feminine) | Comes from the Latin word “viridis” which means “green” and/or “fresh” |
| Yellow | Jaune | Jaune | zhon | Comes from the Latin word “galbinus”, which means “pale green” |
| Black | Noir | Noire | nwah (pronounced the same for both masculine and feminine) | Comes from the Latin word “niger”, which translates to “black”, used to describe a shiny black rather than a dull or matte black |
| White | Blanc | Blanche | blahn (masculine) blahnsh (feminine) |
Originates from the Frankish word “blank”, which means “white” |
| Grey | Gris | Grise | gree (masculine) greez (feminine) |
Comes from the Frankish word “grīs”, which means “grey” or “old and grey-haired” |
| Pink | Rose | Rose | rohz | Comes from the Latin word “rosa”, which means “the rose flower” |
| Purple | Violet | Violetee | vyoh-LEH (masculine) vee-oh-LET (feminine) |
Comes from the Latin word “viola”, which means “the violet flower” |
| Orange | Orange | Orange | oh-RAHNZH | Comes from the Sanskrit word “nāraṅga”, which means “orange tree” |
| Brown | Marron | Marron | mah-ROHN | Comes from the ancient Greek word “máraon”, which means “sweet chestnut” |
| Beige | Beige | Beige | bezh | Comes from the ancient Latin word “byssos”, which means “a rare fine linen” or “homespun cotton” |
| Silver | Argenté | Argentée | ar-zhahn-TAY (pronounced the same for both masculine and feminine) | Comes from the Latin word “argentum”, which means “silver” |
| Gold | Doré | Dorée | doh-RAY (masculine) dawr-ay (feminine) |
Comes from the Latin word “aurum”, which means “to shine” or “to glow” |
Why do some colours ignore grammar rules?
Most colours follow regular grammar rules; they change depending on whether they are masculine or feminine, but there are a few that do not follow this rule, as well as other grammar rules. This is because, in the case of colours such as brown and orange, they are derived from fruits and nuts, making them exempt from normal grammar around colours.
Hearing the difference between vert and verte, or blanc and blanche, is easier than reading it. Memrise pairs each word with a native speaker saying it, so the two forms register as different sounds rather than different spellings.
Frequently asked questions
How easy is it to learn French?
French is one of the easier languages for English speakers: the US Foreign Service Institute puts it in Category I, its group of languages closest to English. The two share a great deal of vocabulary. The main obstacle for English speakers learning French is that many written letters are not pronounced, which catches beginners out. Hearing native speakers is the fastest way to learn which letters go silent, and Memrise uses video of real speakers for exactly that.
How important is gender in French grammar?
Unlike English, gender is integral to French grammar; every noun in French is either masculine or feminine, and all contextually connected words have to match its gender. This idea may be completely foreign for native English speakers. Using the wrong gender can sometimes completely change the meaning of a word; for example, un livre is a book, and une livre is a pound.
Can I learn French by watching French TV?
While watching French TV can certainly be a great tool for learning, it is best used alongside other forms of learning to build a solid foundation. Watching French TV can help you become familiar with the cadence in which native French people talk, which can be a very valuable tool.
How many words do I need to learn in French to become fluent?
French linguist Étienne Brunet analysed the 90-million-word corpus behind the Trésor de la langue française and found that 907 words each occurred more than 7,000 times, accounting for over 90 per cent of that corpus. Learning those 907 words are the ones you will meet most often, so they are a sensible place to start.
As for achieving fluency, it depends on what you want to do with the language. The French Room puts everyday conversational comfort at somewhere between 1,000 and 3,000 relevant and frequently used words.
What’s the difference between French and Canadian French?
Although both French and Canadian French use the same core grammar, there are some key differences that may trip some people up. For example, Canadian French sometimes avoids direct translations from English, “the weekend” in European French is “le week-end”, but in Canadian French, it is “la fin de semaine”.
The letters “t” and “d” in Canadian French are usually pronounced like “ts” and “dz”, making some words sound a bit different, although it is very similar to different English dialects, where certain syllables will be pronounced a bit differently.
