How To Say Color In French

When learning a new language, one of the first things people often want to know is how to describe colors. Colors are everywhere in the world around us, and being able to talk about them in French will help you communicate more effectively. Whether you’re talking about clothes, nature, or art, knowing the names of colors is an essential part of everyday conversation.

In this article, we will explore how to say “color” in French, along with other ways to talk about different colors. We will also look at how to respond when someone mentions a color. By the end, you’ll have a good understanding of the French terms for colors and how to use them confidently in conversation.

Ways to Say “Color” in French

In French, the word for color is “couleur.” However, there are various ways to say and describe colors depending on the context, and knowing these will help you sound more fluent. Below are 25 ways to say different colors in French, along with their pronunciation, meanings, and example sentences to help you understand how to use them.

1. Couleur (koo-luhr)

Pronunciation: koo-luhr
Meaning: This is the general word for “color” in French. It can be used to describe any color in general.
In a Sentence:

  • “La couleur de cette robe est belle.” (The color of this dress is beautiful.)
  • “J’aime toutes les couleurs.” (I like all colors.)

2. Rouge (roozh)

Pronunciation: roozh
Meaning: Red
In a Sentence:

  • “Ma voiture est rouge.” (My car is red.)
  • “Elle porte une robe rouge.” (She is wearing a red dress.)

3. Bleu (bluh)

Pronunciation: bluh
Meaning: Blue
In a Sentence:

  • “Le ciel est bleu.” (The sky is blue.)
  • “Il aime les yeux bleus.” (He likes blue eyes.)

4. Jaune (zhon)

Pronunciation: zhon
Meaning: Yellow
In a Sentence:

  • “Les fleurs sont jaunes.” (The flowers are yellow.)
  • “J’ai un t-shirt jaune.” (I have a yellow t-shirt.)

5. Vert (vehr)

Pronunciation: vehr
Meaning: Green
In a Sentence:

  • “Les arbres sont verts.” (The trees are green.)
  • “Elle aime les pommes vertes.” (She likes green apples.)

6. Noir (nwar)

Pronunciation: nwar
Meaning: Black
In a Sentence:

  • “Le chat est noir.” (The cat is black.)
  • “Il porte un manteau noir.” (He is wearing a black coat.)

7. Blanc (blahn)

Pronunciation: blahn
Meaning: White
In a Sentence:

  • “Le mur est blanc.” (The wall is white.)
  • “J’ai un chemisier blanc.” (I have a white blouse.)

8. Gris (gree)

Pronunciation: gree
Meaning: Gray
In a Sentence:

  • “Le ciel est gris aujourd’hui.” (The sky is gray today.)
  • “Il a des cheveux gris.” (He has gray hair.)

9. Marron (mah-rohn)

Pronunciation: mah-rohn
Meaning: Brown
In a Sentence:

  • “Les chevaux sont marrons.” (The horses are brown.)
  • “Elle porte des chaussures marron.” (She is wearing brown shoes.)

10. Orange (oh-rahnj)

Pronunciation: oh-rahnj
Meaning: Orange
In a Sentence:

  • “J’aime les oranges.” (I like oranges.)
  • “Il a une chemise orange.” (He has an orange shirt.)

11. Violet (vee-oh-leh)

Pronunciation: vee-oh-leh
Meaning: Purple
In a Sentence:

  • “Elle a un ballon violet.” (She has a purple balloon.)
  • “Le gâteau est violet.” (The cake is purple.)

12. Rose (rohz)

Pronunciation: rohz
Meaning: Pink
In a Sentence:

  • “Ma chambre est rose.” (My room is pink.)
  • “Elle porte une robe rose.” (She is wearing a pink dress.)
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13. Beige (bezh)

Pronunciation: bezh
Meaning: Beige
In a Sentence:

  • “Il a une veste beige.” (He has a beige jacket.)
  • “La couleur de l’armoire est beige.” (The color of the wardrobe is beige.)

14. Turquoise (tewr-kwahz)

Pronunciation: tewr-kwahz
Meaning: Turquoise
In a Sentence:

  • “Le lac est turquoise.” (The lake is turquoise.)
  • “Elle a un sac turquoise.” (She has a turquoise bag.)

15. Lavande (lah-vahnd)

Pronunciation: lah-vahnd
Meaning: Lavender
In a Sentence:

  • “Les fleurs sont lavandes.” (The flowers are lavender.)
  • “J’aime la couleur lavande.” (I like the lavender color.)

16. Noisette (nwah-zet)

Pronunciation: nwah-zet
Meaning: Hazel
In a Sentence:

  • “Ses yeux sont noisette.” (Her eyes are hazel.)
  • “Il porte une cravate noisette.” (He is wearing a hazel-colored tie.)

17. Pêche (pesh)

Pronunciation: pesh
Meaning: Peach
In a Sentence:

  • “Elle aime la couleur pêche.” (She likes the peach color.)
  • “Ce canapé est de couleur pêche.” (This couch is peach-colored.)

18. Mauve (mohv)

Pronunciation: mohv
Meaning: Mauve
In a Sentence:

  • “Elle porte une robe mauve.” (She is wearing a mauve dress.)
  • “Les rideaux sont mauves.” (The curtains are mauve.)

19. Cyan (see-ahn)

Pronunciation: see-ahn
Meaning: Cyan (light blue-green)
In a Sentence:

  • “Le poisson est cyan.” (The fish is cyan.)
  • “J’ai un stylo cyan.” (I have a cyan pen.)

20. Argent (ahr-zhahnt)

Pronunciation: ahr-zhahnt
Meaning: Silver
In a Sentence:

  • “Il a une montre en argent.” (He has a silver watch.)
  • “Les bijoux sont en argent.” (The jewelry is silver.)

21. Or (ohr)

Pronunciation: ohr
Meaning: Gold
In a Sentence:

  • “Elle porte des boucles d’oreilles en or.” (She is wearing gold earrings.)
  • “Le cadre est en or.” (The frame is gold.)

22. Ivoire (ee-vwahr)

Pronunciation: ee-vwahr
Meaning: Ivory
In a Sentence:

  • “La statue est en ivoire.” (The statue is ivory.)
  • “Il a un piano ivoire.” (He has an ivory piano.)

23. Saumon (soh-mohn)

Pronunciation: soh-mohn
Meaning: Salmon
In a Sentence:

  • “Le mur est de couleur saumon.” (The wall is salmon-colored.)
  • “Elle porte une robe saumon.” (She is wearing a salmon-colored dress.)

24. Khaki (kah-kee)

Pronunciation: kah-kee
Meaning: Khaki
In a Sentence:

  • “Il porte un pantalon khaki.” (He is wearing khaki pants.)
  • “Les sacs sont de couleur khaki.” (The bags are khaki-colored.)

25. Turquoise clair (tewr-kwahz klair)

Pronunciation: tewr-kwahz klair
Meaning: Light turquoise
In a Sentence:

  • “La mer est turquoise claire.” (The sea is light turquoise.)
  • “Elle a une écharpe turquoise claire.” (She has a light turquoise scarf.)

26. Fuchsia (few-shee-ah)

Pronunciation: few-shee-ah
Meaning: Fuchsia (a vivid pinkish-purple color)
In a Sentence:

  • “Sa robe est fuchsia.” (Her dress is fuchsia.)
  • “Elle adore la couleur fuchsia.” (She loves the fuchsia color.)

27. Indigo (an-dee-goh)

Pronunciation: an-dee-goh
Meaning: Indigo (a deep blue-purple color)
In a Sentence:

  • “Le ciel est d’un bleu indigo.” (The sky is indigo blue.)
  • “Il a un pull indigo.” (He has an indigo sweater.)

28. Cerise (suh-reez)

Pronunciation: suh-reez
Meaning: Cherry (a bright red color)
In a Sentence:

  • “La voiture est cerise.” (The car is cherry red.)
  • “Elle a des lèvres cerise.” (She has cherry-colored lips.)

29. Sable (sah-bl)

Pronunciation: sah-bl
Meaning: Sand
In a Sentence:

  • “Le sable est jaune.” (The sand is yellow.)
  • “Les murs sont de couleur sable.” (The walls are sand-colored.)

30. Améthyste (ah-meh-teest)

Pronunciation: ah-meh-teest
Meaning: Amethyst (a purple gemstone color)
In a Sentence:

  • “Les rideaux sont améthyste.” (The curtains are amethyst.)
  • “Elle porte un collier améthyste.” (She is wearing an amethyst necklace.)
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31. Argile (ahr-zheel)

Pronunciation: ahr-zheel
Meaning: Clay (a light brown, earthy color)
In a Sentence:

  • “La poterie est en argile.” (The pottery is made of clay.)
  • “Il aime la couleur argile.” (He likes the clay color.)

32. Pistache (pee-stahsh)

Pronunciation: pee-stahsh
Meaning: Pistachio (a light green color)
In a Sentence:

  • “La glace est de couleur pistache.” (The ice cream is pistachio-colored.)
  • “Elle a une robe pistache.” (She has a pistachio-colored dress.)

Other Ways to Say “Color” in French

Here are some alternative ways to refer to colors in French, along with their pronunciation, meaning, and example sentences. These expressions are useful in different contexts to make your conversation sound more natural.

Other Ways to SayPronunciationMeaningExample Sentences
Teinte(tahnt)Shade (of a color)“Cette teinte de bleu est magnifique.” (This shade of blue is beautiful.)
Nuance(nwahns)Hue/Variation“Il y a plusieurs nuances de vert.” (There are several shades of green.)
Tons(tohn)Tones (of a color)“Elle préfère les tons pastels.” (She prefers pastel tones.)
Couleur vive(koo-luhr veev)Bright color“Elle porte une couleur vive.” (She is wearing a bright color.)
Couleur pâle(koo-luhr pahl)Pale color“Il a peint la chambre en couleur pâle.” (He painted the room a pale color.)
Couleur foncée(koo-luhr fohn-say)Dark color“Les rideaux sont d’une couleur foncée.” (The curtains are dark-colored.)
Couleur claire(koo-luhr klair)Light color“J’aime cette couleur claire.” (I like this light color.)

Response to “Color” in French

When someone mentions a color in French, there are different ways to respond based on the context. You might want to agree with them, ask about the color, or even describe how something looks. Here are some common responses you can use in everyday conversations.

1. C’est joli ! (Say zho-lee)

Pronunciation: Say zho-lee
Meaning: “It’s pretty!”
In a Sentence:

  • “Le bleu de ce ciel est joli !” (The blue of this sky is pretty!)
  • “Cette robe rouge est vraiment jolie !” (This red dress is really pretty!)

2. C’est magnifique ! (Say mah-nyee-feek)

Pronunciation: Say mah-nyee-feek
Meaning: “It’s magnificent!”
In a Sentence:

  • “Cette couleur de peinture est magnifique.” (This paint color is magnificent.)
  • “Le vert des arbres est magnifique.” (The green of the trees is magnificent.)

3. J’adore cette couleur ! (Zhah-dor set koo-luhr)

Pronunciation: Zhah-dor set koo-luhr
Meaning: “I love this color!”
In a Sentence:

  • “J’adore cette couleur bleue !” (I love this blue color!)
  • “Elle adore la couleur rose.” (She loves the pink color.)

4. C’est une belle couleur ! (Say oon bel koo-luhr)

Pronunciation: Say oon bel koo-luhr
Meaning: “It’s a beautiful color!”
In a Sentence:

  • “C’est une belle couleur jaune.” (It’s a beautiful yellow color.)
  • “C’est une belle couleur violette.” (It’s a beautiful purple color.)

5. Ça te va bien ! (Sah tuh vah byan)

Pronunciation: Sah tuh vah byan
Meaning: “It looks good on you!”
In a Sentence:

  • “Cette robe rouge te va bien !” (That red dress looks good on you!)
  • “Ce t-shirt bleu te va bien.” (That blue t-shirt looks good on you.)

6. Je préfère… (Zhuh pray-fehr)

Pronunciation: Zhuh pray-fehr
Meaning: “I prefer…”
In a Sentence:

  • “Je préfère la couleur verte.” (I prefer the green color.)
  • “Je préfère les tons plus sombres.” (I prefer the darker tones.)
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7. Tu as raison, c’est une belle couleur. (Too ah ray-zon, say oon bel koo-luhr)

Pronunciation: Too ah ray-zon, say oon bel koo-luhr
Meaning: “You’re right, it’s a beautiful color.”
In a Sentence:

  • “Tu as raison, ce bleu est magnifique.” (You’re right, this blue is magnificent.)
  • “Tu as raison, cette teinte est parfaite.” (You’re right, this shade is perfect.)

8. Quel joli mélange de couleurs ! (Kel zho-lee meh-lahnzh duh koo-luhrs)

Pronunciation: Kel zho-lee meh-lahnzh duh koo-luhrs
Meaning: “What a lovely mix of colors!”
In a Sentence:

  • “Quel joli mélange de couleurs dans cette peinture !” (What a lovely mix of colors in this painting!)
  • “Quel joli mélange de couleurs dans ton bouquet !” (What a lovely mix of colors in your bouquet!)

9. Ça brille vraiment ! (Sah breey vay-rah-moh)

Pronunciation: Sah breey vay-rah-moh
Meaning: “It really shines!”
In a Sentence:

  • “Cette couleur dorée brille vraiment.” (This golden color really shines.)
  • “Le bleu de la mer brille vraiment sous le soleil.” (The blue of the sea really shines under the sun.)

10. C’est une couleur douce. (Say oon koo-luhr doos)

Pronunciation: Say oon koo-luhr doos
Meaning: “It’s a soft color.”
In a Sentence:

  • “Le lilas est une couleur douce.” (Lilac is a soft color.)
  • “La couleur pastel de la chambre est douce.” (The pastel color of the room is soft.)

11. C’est une couleur vibrante ! (Say oon koo-luhr vee-brant)

Pronunciation: Say oon koo-luhr vee-brant
Meaning: “It’s a vibrant color!”
In a Sentence:

  • “Le rouge est une couleur vibrante !” (Red is a vibrant color!)
  • “Ce jaune est une couleur vibrante.” (This yellow is a vibrant color.)

12. Ça me fait penser à… (Sah muh fay pahns-ay ah)

Pronunciation: Sah muh fay pahns-ay ah
Meaning: “It makes me think of…”
In a Sentence:

  • “Ce vert me fait penser à la nature.” (This green makes me think of nature.)
  • “Le bleu clair me fait penser à l’océan.” (The light blue makes me think of the ocean.)

Exercise to Practice Success “Color” in French

Here’s an exercise with 12 fill-in-the-blank sentences in French. The sentences use the ways to say “color” that we’ve learned in this article. Afterward, I’ll provide the answers to help you practice!

Fill-in-the-Blank Sentences:

  1. La voiture est __________. (The car is red.)
  2. J’adore la __________ couleur de ce ciel. (I love the blue color of this sky.)
  3. La robe de ma sœur est __________. (My sister’s dress is yellow.)
  4. Les murs de la chambre sont __________. (The walls of the room are white.)
  5. J’ai acheté des __________ chaussures. (I bought brown shoes.)
  6. La peinture sur la toile est __________. (The painting on the canvas is purple.)
  7. Le t-shirt de Paul est __________. (Paul’s t-shirt is orange.)
  8. Elle porte une robe __________. (She is wearing a pink dress.)
  9. Mon sac à dos est __________. (My backpack is green.)
  10. Le ciel est __________ aujourd’hui. (The sky is gray today.)
  11. Les rideaux dans le salon sont __________. (The curtains in the living room are dark blue.)
  12. Les fleurs dans le jardin sont __________. (The flowers in the garden are white.)

Answers:

  1. Rouge
  2. Bleue
  3. Jaune
  4. Blanches
  5. Marron
  6. Violette
  7. Orange
  8. Rose
  9. Verte
  10. Gris
  11. Bleu foncé
  12. Blanches

Conclusion

Learning how to say “color” in French is a useful skill that will help you describe the world around you with more detail. In this article, you’ve learned the basic color names in French, as well as some alternative ways to describe colors, and even how to respond when someone mentions a color. This will help you sound more natural when talking about colors in conversations.

By practicing the vocabulary and responses, you can use colors to express your thoughts, share compliments, or simply describe the things you see. Remember to keep practicing to become even more comfortable with these words. Soon, you’ll be able to talk about colors with ease and confidence in French!

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