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Vert tendre for the first courgettes of the season. Vert anglais for the deeper greens that turned up on coats and umbrellas in the rain. Vert bouteille for the older stallholder's apron. Vert pomme for the apples themselves. English just says green and lets context do the work. French uses the qualifier as a structural part of the colour, and the qualifier carries half the information the noun carries. Once you start hearing that, the agreement rule that locks the whole compound starts to make sense: the colour is no longer a simple adjective, it is a compact noun phrase pretending to be one, and French grammar refuses to play along with the pretence.\n\nThe other thing Le Havre taught me was that marron is a chestnut. Genuinely, etymologically, in the supermarket, a chestnut. Marron glacé is the candied version you get at Christmas. The reason it does not flex as an adjective is that it never stopped being a noun in the French ear: when you say des chaussures marron you are saying \"chestnut shoes\", and you do not add a feminine ending to a chestnut. The same logic runs orange and rose, both of which are the fruit and the flower before they are the colour. The grammar is not being awkward, it is being honest. The English speaker's instinct to add an S to anything that modifies a plural noun is the foreign tell. The French rule is: if the colour is also a noun, treat it like a noun, do not dress it up as an adjective.\n\nThe dress-shop assistant moment that lives in my head is from a small boutique near the Hôtel de Ville. She offered me a pair of trousers in \"marron glacé\" and waited for the reaction. I was twenty-two and had been in France four months; I assumed she was joking. She was not. Marron glacé is a real colour name in French clothing, a pale milky chestnut, the colour of the candied sweet, and it is sold seriously in real shops with real price tags. The lesson was not just vocabulary, it was that French treats colour as a small literary act. The English colour wheel has eleven slots and a paint chart. The French colour wheel has the same eleven slots and then a whole register of food, wine, stone and fabric vocabulary that does the rest of the work. Learn the eleven and the agreement rules first, and then start collecting the fruit-and-stone vocabulary because that is where the language actually lives.\n",{"type":32,"value":33,"toc":1171},"minimark",[34,39,52,63,68,247,250,254,257,272,302,305,359,362,366,373,410,413,417,424,444,447,450,550,560,564,571,597,604,610,614,617,689,696,700,703,832,845,849,852,858,864,896,899,903,906,1054,1057,1061,1072,1092,1110,1129,1133],[35,36,38],"h1",{"id":37},"colors-in-french","Colors in French",[40,41,42,43,47,48,51],"p",{},"French has eleven everyday colours, and three of them refuse to behave like adjectives. The eleven are ",[44,45,46],"strong",{},"rouge, orange, jaune, vert, bleu, violet, rose, marron, noir, blanc"," and ",[44,49,50],{},"gris",". The agreement rules look simple - add an -e for feminine, add an -s for plural - until you hit the three that do not flex at all and the compound-colour rule that locks the whole phrase invariant. This article covers the eleven basics, the gender and number agreement, the invariable trio, the compound trap, the standard qualifiers, the marron vs brun split, and the colour idioms worth knowing.",[40,53,54,55,58,59,62],{},"A spelling note: the title and URL use the US ",[44,56,57],{},"colors"," because that is the form people search for. The rest of this article uses British ",[44,60,61],{},"colour",". Flag noted, moving on.",[64,65,67],"h2",{"id":66},"the-11-basic-colours","The 11 basic colours",[69,70,71,90],"table",{},[72,73,74],"thead",{},[75,76,77,81,84,87],"tr",{},[78,79,80],"th",{},"Colour",[78,82,83],{},"Masculine",[78,85,86],{},"Feminine",[78,88,89],{},"Pronunciation note",[91,92,93,108,122,136,150,164,178,192,206,220,234],"tbody",{},[75,94,95,99,102,105],{},[96,97,98],"td",{},"Red",[96,100,101],{},"rouge",[96,103,104],{},"rouge (invariant, ends in -e)",[96,106,107],{},"roozh",[75,109,110,113,116,119],{},[96,111,112],{},"Orange",[96,114,115],{},"orange",[96,117,118],{},"orange (invariant, noun)",[96,120,121],{},"oh-RAHNZH",[75,123,124,127,130,133],{},[96,125,126],{},"Yellow",[96,128,129],{},"jaune",[96,131,132],{},"jaune (invariant, ends in -e)",[96,134,135],{},"zhohn",[75,137,138,141,144,147],{},[96,139,140],{},"Green",[96,142,143],{},"vert",[96,145,146],{},"verte",[96,148,149],{},"vehr \u002F vehrt",[75,151,152,155,158,161],{},[96,153,154],{},"Blue",[96,156,157],{},"bleu",[96,159,160],{},"bleue",[96,162,163],{},"bluh",[75,165,166,169,172,175],{},[96,167,168],{},"Purple",[96,170,171],{},"violet",[96,173,174],{},"violette",[96,176,177],{},"vee-oh-LAY \u002F vee-oh-LET",[75,179,180,183,186,189],{},[96,181,182],{},"Pink",[96,184,185],{},"rose",[96,187,188],{},"rose (invariant, noun)",[96,190,191],{},"rohz",[75,193,194,197,200,203],{},[96,195,196],{},"Brown",[96,198,199],{},"marron",[96,201,202],{},"marron (invariant, noun, chestnut)",[96,204,205],{},"mah-ROHN",[75,207,208,211,214,217],{},[96,209,210],{},"Black",[96,212,213],{},"noir",[96,215,216],{},"noire",[96,218,219],{},"nwahr",[75,221,222,225,228,231],{},[96,223,224],{},"White",[96,226,227],{},"blanc",[96,229,230],{},"blanche (irregular feminine)",[96,232,233],{},"blahn \u002F blahnsh",[75,235,236,239,241,244],{},[96,237,238],{},"Grey",[96,240,50],{},[96,242,243],{},"grise",[96,245,246],{},"gree \u002F greez",[40,248,249],{},"The eleven are the high-frequency set you actually need. Everything else (mauve, turquoise, beige, kaki, crème, fuchsia) sits in the noun-derived invariant group and follows the same rule as orange and marron.",[64,251,253],{"id":252},"gender-agreement-the-basic-rule","Gender agreement: the basic rule",[40,255,256],{},"Colours are adjectives, and French adjectives agree in gender with the noun they describe.",[40,258,259,260,263,264,267,268,271],{},"If the colour already ends in a silent ",[44,261,262],{},"-e",", it does not change in the feminine: ",[44,265,266],{},"une robe rouge",", ",[44,269,270],{},"une jupe jaune",". The rouge and jaune of la robe rouge and le pull rouge are spelled and pronounced identically.",[40,273,274,275,277,278,281,282,285,286,289,290,293,294,297,298,301],{},"If the colour ends in a consonant, it adds ",[44,276,262],{}," in the feminine, and that -e usually makes the final consonant audible: ",[44,279,280],{},"un pull bleu"," (bluh) becomes ",[44,283,284],{},"une chemise bleue"," (still bluh, the -e is silent here but the spelling shifts); ",[44,287,288],{},"un manteau vert"," (vehr) becomes ",[44,291,292],{},"une jupe verte"," (vehrt, the t is now pronounced); ",[44,295,296],{},"un sac noir"," (nwahr, the r is already audible) becomes ",[44,299,300],{},"un sac noire"," (still nwahr).",[40,303,304],{},"A handful have irregular feminines:",[69,306,307,318],{},[72,308,309],{},[75,310,311,313,315],{},[78,312,83],{},[78,314,86],{},[78,316,317],{},"Notes",[91,319,320,330,339,348],{},[75,321,322,324,327],{},[96,323,227],{},[96,325,326],{},"blanche",[96,328,329],{},"the -che ending is irregular, model: blanc\u002Fblanche, franc\u002Ffranche",[75,331,332,334,336],{},[96,333,171],{},[96,335,174],{},[96,337,338],{},"doubles the t before -e",[75,340,341,343,345],{},[96,342,50],{},[96,344,243],{},[96,346,347],{},"the s becomes voiced \u002Fz\u002F",[75,349,350,353,356],{},[96,351,352],{},"frais",[96,354,355],{},"fraîche",[96,357,358],{},"model for \"fresh\"; same irregular pattern",[40,360,361],{},"The pattern to internalise is that the feminine usually makes the final consonant audible. If you can hear the consonant when you say the noun phrase, you have probably written the agreement correctly.",[64,363,365],{"id":364},"plural-agreement","Plural agreement",[40,367,368,369,372],{},"The plural takes ",[44,370,371],{},"-s"," added to whichever form you already have:",[374,375,376,386,394,402],"ul",{},[377,378,379,382,383],"li",{},[44,380,381],{},"un pull rouge"," → ",[44,384,385],{},"des pulls rouges",[377,387,388,382,391],{},[44,389,390],{},"une robe verte",[44,392,393],{},"des robes vertes",[377,395,396,382,399],{},[44,397,398],{},"un sac bleu",[44,400,401],{},"des sacs bleus",[377,403,404,382,407],{},[44,405,406],{},"une chemise blanche",[44,408,409],{},"des chemises blanches",[40,411,412],{},"The -s is silent, so the plural and singular sound identical in speech for most colours. Only the spelling carries the agreement. The rare -al → -aux pattern that catches some adjectives (final, finaux) does not turn up in the colour family.",[64,414,416],{"id":415},"the-invariable-colours-the-trap","The invariable colours: the trap",[40,418,419,420,423],{},"Three of the eleven basics do not flex at all: ",[44,421,422],{},"orange, marron, rose",". None of them take an -e in the feminine, and none of them take an -s in the plural.",[374,425,426,432,438],{},[377,427,428,431],{},[44,429,430],{},"des chemises orange"," (no S, no E)",[377,433,434,437],{},[44,435,436],{},"les murs marron"," (no agreement)",[377,439,440,443],{},[44,441,442],{},"des chaussures rose"," (contested; see below)",[40,445,446],{},"The reason is etymological: all three are nouns first and colours second. An orange is the fruit. A marron is a chestnut. A rose is the flower. When you use a noun as a colour adjective, French refuses to grammatically pretend it has become an adjective, and the noun stays in its citation form.",[40,448,449],{},"The same rule applies to every other colour borrowed from a noun:",[69,451,452,464],{},[72,453,454],{},[75,455,456,458,461],{},[78,457,80],{},[78,459,460],{},"English",[78,462,463],{},"Invariant because",[91,465,466,476,486,497,507,518,529,540],{},[75,467,468,471,473],{},[96,469,470],{},"mauve",[96,472,470],{},[96,474,475],{},"the mauve flower",[75,477,478,481,483],{},[96,479,480],{},"fuchsia",[96,482,480],{},[96,484,485],{},"the fuchsia flower",[75,487,488,491,494],{},[96,489,490],{},"kaki",[96,492,493],{},"khaki",[96,495,496],{},"the kaki fruit (persimmon)",[75,498,499,502,504],{},[96,500,501],{},"turquoise",[96,503,501],{},[96,505,506],{},"the turquoise stone",[75,508,509,512,515],{},[96,510,511],{},"crème",[96,513,514],{},"cream",[96,516,517],{},"the dairy",[75,519,520,523,526],{},[96,521,522],{},"ivoire",[96,524,525],{},"ivory",[96,527,528],{},"the material",[75,530,531,534,537],{},[96,532,533],{},"or",[96,535,536],{},"gold",[96,538,539],{},"the metal",[75,541,542,545,548],{},[96,543,544],{},"argent",[96,546,547],{},"silver",[96,549,539],{},[40,551,552,553,555,556,559],{},"The contested case is ",[44,554,185],{},", which has been used as a colour for long enough that some style guides accept the agreement (",[44,557,558],{},"des chemises roses","). The Académie française says no agreement; everyday usage is split. The safe move is to follow the rule for the whole group and leave it invariant.",[64,561,563],{"id":562},"the-compound-trap","The compound trap",[40,565,566,567,570],{},"This is the rule that catches every learner exactly once: ",[44,568,569],{},"when a colour is qualified by another word, the whole compound becomes invariant",".",[374,572,573,579,585,591],{},[377,574,575,578],{},[44,576,577],{},"une robe bleu clair"," (light blue) - bleu does not take an -e even though robe is feminine",[377,580,581,584],{},[44,582,583],{},"des yeux vert foncé"," (dark green) - vert does not take an -s even though yeux is plural",[377,586,587,590],{},[44,588,589],{},"les pulls bleu marine"," (navy blue) - bleu and marine both stay frozen",[377,592,593,596],{},[44,594,595],{},"des chaussures rouge sang"," (blood-red) - rouge and sang both stay frozen",[40,598,599,600,603],{},"The basic-agreement instinct says ",[44,601,602],{},"une robe bleue claire",", because robe is feminine. French overrides the instinct because the compound has become a fixed colour name, and fixed colour names do not flex. The grammar is treating \"bleu clair\" as a single lexical unit, the way English treats \"navy blue\" or \"off-white\".",[40,605,606,607,570],{},"This catches every learner because the basic adjective rule is so drilled that it overrides the compound rule. The fix is to memorise the rule in its hard form: ",[44,608,609],{},"if there is a second word qualifying the colour, drop the agreement on both parts",[64,611,613],{"id":612},"the-standard-qualifiers","The standard qualifiers",[40,615,616],{},"Five qualifiers do the work of light, dark, bright, pale and deep:",[69,618,619,632],{},[72,620,621],{},[75,622,623,626,629],{},[78,624,625],{},"Qualifier",[78,627,628],{},"Meaning",[78,630,631],{},"Example",[91,633,634,645,656,667,678],{},[75,635,636,639,642],{},[96,637,638],{},"clair",[96,640,641],{},"light, pale",[96,643,644],{},"bleu clair, vert clair, rose clair",[75,646,647,650,653],{},[96,648,649],{},"foncé",[96,651,652],{},"dark",[96,654,655],{},"bleu foncé, vert foncé, rouge foncé",[75,657,658,661,664],{},[96,659,660],{},"vif",[96,662,663],{},"bright, vivid",[96,665,666],{},"rouge vif, vert vif, jaune vif",[75,668,669,672,675],{},[96,670,671],{},"pâle",[96,673,674],{},"pale",[96,676,677],{},"bleu pâle, jaune pâle",[75,679,680,683,686],{},[96,681,682],{},"profond",[96,684,685],{},"deep",[96,687,688],{},"bleu profond, vert profond",[40,690,691,692,695],{},"All five come ",[44,693,694],{},"after"," the colour, never before. Une robe bleu clair, not une robe clair bleu. The whole compound is invariant by the rule above.",[64,697,699],{"id":698},"the-noun-derived-qualifiers-no-preposition","The noun-derived qualifiers (no preposition)",[40,701,702],{},"This is where French colour vocabulary gets specific. You append a noun directly after the colour, with no preposition, and the whole thing becomes a fixed compound:",[69,704,705,718],{},[72,706,707],{},[75,708,709,712,714,716],{},[78,710,711],{},"Compound",[78,713,460],{},[78,715,711],{},[78,717,460],{},[91,719,720,734,748,762,776,790,804,818],{},[75,721,722,725,728,731],{},[96,723,724],{},"bleu marine",[96,726,727],{},"navy blue",[96,729,730],{},"rouge sang",[96,732,733],{},"blood red",[75,735,736,739,742,745],{},[96,737,738],{},"bleu ciel",[96,740,741],{},"sky blue",[96,743,744],{},"rouge bordeaux",[96,746,747],{},"wine red",[75,749,750,753,756,759],{},[96,751,752],{},"bleu roi",[96,754,755],{},"royal blue",[96,757,758],{},"rose bonbon",[96,760,761],{},"sweet pink",[75,763,764,767,770,773],{},[96,765,766],{},"bleu nuit",[96,768,769],{},"midnight blue",[96,771,772],{},"jaune citron",[96,774,775],{},"lemon yellow",[75,777,778,781,784,787],{},[96,779,780],{},"vert pomme",[96,782,783],{},"apple green",[96,785,786],{},"jaune paille",[96,788,789],{},"straw yellow",[75,791,792,795,798,801],{},[96,793,794],{},"vert bouteille",[96,796,797],{},"bottle green",[96,799,800],{},"gris perle",[96,802,803],{},"pearl grey",[75,805,806,809,812,815],{},[96,807,808],{},"vert anglais",[96,810,811],{},"English green",[96,813,814],{},"gris souris",[96,816,817],{},"mouse grey",[75,819,820,823,826,829],{},[96,821,822],{},"vert d'eau",[96,824,825],{},"water green",[96,827,828],{},"brun noisette",[96,830,831],{},"hazel brown",[40,833,834,835,267,838,267,841,844],{},"Each compound stays invariant for all genders and numbers. ",[44,836,837],{},"Les pulls bleu marine",[44,839,840],{},"des yeux vert d'eau",[44,842,843],{},"des chaussures rose bonbon",". The noun-attached form is one of the things that gives French colour vocabulary its specificity, and it is also the structural reason the compounds lock: the noun is doing real lexical work, not just decorating the colour.",[64,846,848],{"id":847},"marron-vs-brun","Marron vs brun",[40,850,851],{},"Marron and brun both mean brown, and they are not interchangeable.",[40,853,854,857],{},[44,855,856],{},"Marron"," is the everyday brown for objects, clothes, shoes, eyes, and animal coats. Des chaussures marron. Un sac marron. Les yeux marron. The colour of a piece of furniture, the colour of a coat, the colour of a horse. This is the default brown for almost every visible object.",[40,859,860,863],{},[44,861,862],{},"Brun"," is reserved for a narrow set of contexts:",[374,865,866,872,878,884,890],{},[377,867,868,871],{},[44,869,870],{},"Human hair colour",": cheveux bruns is the standard term; cheveux marron would read as wrong.",[377,873,874,877],{},[44,875,876],{},"Beer",": une bière brune is a dark beer; une bière marron does not exist.",[377,879,880,883],{},[44,881,882],{},"Skin tone",": brun is the neutral descriptor for darker-skinned people. Calling a person marron reads as racist and is one of the harder usage traps for English speakers, because the basic colour rule would suggest marron is fine for any brown object including a person. It is not. Use brun.",[377,885,886,889],{},[44,887,888],{},"Tea",": thé brun, not thé marron.",[377,891,892,895],{},[44,893,894],{},"Sugar and bread",": sucre brun, pain brun.",[40,897,898],{},"The split is consistent enough that switching the two gives a learner away in one sentence. Memorise the brun list, use marron for everything else.",[64,900,902],{"id":901},"colour-idioms","Colour idioms",[40,904,905],{},"French uses colour for the same metaphorical work English does, and the matches are not one-to-one.",[69,907,908,920],{},[72,909,910],{},[75,911,912,915,918],{},[78,913,914],{},"Idiom",[78,916,917],{},"Literal",[78,919,628],{},[91,921,922,933,944,955,966,977,988,999,1010,1021,1032,1043],{},[75,923,924,927,930],{},[96,925,926],{},"voir rouge",[96,928,929],{},"to see red",[96,931,932],{},"to get furiously angry",[75,934,935,938,941],{},[96,936,937],{},"broyer du noir",[96,939,940],{},"to grind black",[96,942,943],{},"to be depressed, to brood",[75,945,946,949,952],{},[96,947,948],{},"avoir la main verte",[96,950,951],{},"to have the green hand",[96,953,954],{},"to have green fingers, be good with plants",[75,956,957,960,963],{},[96,958,959],{},"être fleur bleue",[96,961,962],{},"to be a blue flower",[96,964,965],{},"to be soft-hearted, romantic, sentimental",[75,967,968,971,974],{},[96,969,970],{},"travail au noir",[96,972,973],{},"work in the black",[96,975,976],{},"undeclared, off-the-books work",[75,978,979,982,985],{},[96,980,981],{},"rire jaune",[96,983,984],{},"to laugh yellow",[96,986,987],{},"to give a forced, hollow laugh",[75,989,990,993,996],{},[96,991,992],{},"nuit blanche",[96,994,995],{},"white night",[96,997,998],{},"a sleepless night",[75,1000,1001,1004,1007],{},[96,1002,1003],{},"carte blanche",[96,1005,1006],{},"white card",[96,1008,1009],{},"full discretion, free hand",[75,1011,1012,1015,1018],{},[96,1013,1014],{},"voir la vie en rose",[96,1016,1017],{},"to see life in pink",[96,1019,1020],{},"to be optimistic, see the bright side",[75,1022,1023,1026,1029],{},[96,1024,1025],{},"coup de blues",[96,1027,1028],{},"hit of blues",[96,1030,1031],{},"a low mood, the blues",[75,1033,1034,1037,1040],{},[96,1035,1036],{},"être vert de jalousie",[96,1038,1039],{},"to be green with jealousy",[96,1041,1042],{},"matches the English",[75,1044,1045,1048,1051],{},[96,1046,1047],{},"être rouge comme une tomate",[96,1049,1050],{},"to be red as a tomato",[96,1052,1053],{},"to be flushed, embarrassed",[40,1055,1056],{},"Broyer du noir and rire jaune are the two with no clean English equivalent, and they are the ones worth learning early because they show up in real conversation. Voir rouge and voir la vie en rose are common enough that not knowing them marks you as still in textbook territory.",[64,1058,1060],{"id":1059},"asking-about-colours","Asking about colours",[40,1062,1063,1064,1067,1068,1071],{},"The standard question is ",[44,1065,1066],{},"De quelle couleur est...?"," - literally \"Of what colour is...?\". The ",[44,1069,1070],{},"de"," is structural, not optional.",[374,1073,1074,1080,1086],{},[377,1075,1076,1079],{},[44,1077,1078],{},"De quelle couleur est ta voiture?"," - What colour is your car?",[377,1081,1082,1085],{},[44,1083,1084],{},"De quelle couleur sont tes yeux?"," - What colour are your eyes?",[377,1087,1088,1091],{},[44,1089,1090],{},"De quelle couleur est cette robe?"," - What colour is this dress?",[40,1093,1094,1095,1097,1098,1101,1102,1105,1106,1109],{},"Dropping the ",[44,1096,1070],{}," (\"Quelle couleur est ta voiture?\") is a learner tell. The construction is fixed: ",[44,1099,1100],{},"de quelle couleur + être + noun",". You can also use ",[44,1103,1104],{},"avoir"," for body parts (\"J'ai les yeux bleus\", \"I have blue eyes), and the question form is ",[44,1107,1108],{},"Tu as les yeux de quelle couleur?"," which keeps the same de structure tucked into the end.",[40,1111,1112,1113,1116,1117,1120,1121,1124,1125,1128],{},"The neutral noun for colour itself is ",[44,1114,1115],{},"la couleur",", feminine. The verb ",[44,1118,1119],{},"colorer"," means to colour, and ",[44,1122,1123],{},"se colorer"," is the reflexive form for blushing or changing colour. ",[44,1126,1127],{},"Coloré"," is the participle and adjective for colourful.",[64,1130,1132],{"id":1131},"cross-links","Cross-links",[374,1134,1135,1143,1150,1157,1164],{},[377,1136,1137,1142],{},[1138,1139,1141],"a",{"href":1140},"\u002Ffrench","The French pillar"," covers the wider adult-learner approach for French.",[377,1144,1145,1149],{},[1138,1146,1148],{"href":1147},"\u002Ffrench\u002Fvocabulary-by-cefr","French vocabulary by CEFR"," covers the frequency-ordered word list that the colour vocabulary sits inside.",[377,1151,1152,1156],{},[1138,1153,1155],{"href":1154},"\u002Fresources\u002Ffrench\u002Fhow-to-say-good-morning-in-french","How to say good morning in French"," covers the greeting cluster that pairs with shop and market vocabulary.",[377,1158,1159,1163],{},[1138,1160,1162],{"href":1161},"\u002Ffrench\u002Fgrammar","French grammar"," covers the wider adjective-agreement rules that the colour family inherits.",[377,1165,1166,1170],{},[1138,1167,1169],{"href":1168},"\u002Ffrench\u002Fphrases\u002Fshopping","Shopping phrases in French"," covers the boutique vocabulary where colour agreement actually matters in practice.",{"title":1172,"searchDepth":1173,"depth":1173,"links":1174},"",2,[1175,1176,1177,1178,1179,1180,1181,1182,1183,1184,1185],{"id":66,"depth":1173,"text":67},{"id":252,"depth":1173,"text":253},{"id":364,"depth":1173,"text":365},{"id":415,"depth":1173,"text":416},{"id":562,"depth":1173,"text":563},{"id":612,"depth":1173,"text":613},{"id":698,"depth":1173,"text":699},{"id":847,"depth":1173,"text":848},{"id":901,"depth":1173,"text":902},{"id":1059,"depth":1173,"text":1060},{"id":1131,"depth":1173,"text":1132},"Methodology",null,"2026-06-11T00:00:00+00:00","Colors in French for adult learners. The 11 basic colours, gender and number agreement, the invariable trio (orange, marron, rose), the compound-colour trap (bleu clair stays singular), the marron\u002Fbrun split, and the colour idioms worth knowing.","md",[1192,1195,1198,1201],{"q":1193,"a":1194},"How do colour adjectives agree in French?","Most French colours behave as normal adjectives: they take a feminine -e and a plural -s to match the noun. Une voiture bleue, des voitures bleues, un pull vert, des pulls verts. Colours that already end in a silent -e (rouge, jaune, rose rule aside) do not change in the feminine but still take -s in the plural: une jupe rouge, des jupes rouges. Blanc has an irregular feminine (blanche) and a small group including violet, gris, frais follow predictable irregular patterns.",{"q":1196,"a":1197},"Which French colours are invariable?","Orange, marron and rose do not flex for gender or number because they are originally nouns (an orange, a chestnut, a rose) being used as adjectives. You write des chemises orange with no S and no E, les murs marron, des chaussures marron. Other noun-derived colours behave the same way: mauve, fuchsia, kaki, turquoise, crème. Rose is the contested case; the Académie says it stays invariant, but everyday usage often adds the S (des chemises roses). If you want a single rule you can apply without thinking, leave them all invariant.",{"q":1199,"a":1200},"Why is it bleu clair and not bleue claire on a feminine noun?","Because compound colours lock. As soon as you qualify a colour with another word (clair, foncé, vif, marine, ciel, citron, pomme), the whole compound becomes invariable, regardless of the noun's gender or number. Une robe bleu clair, des yeux vert foncé, les pulls bleu marine, des chaussures rouge sang. The basic-agreement instinct says bleue claire because robe is feminine; French grammar overrides that instinct because the compound has become a fixed colour name rather than a flexible adjective. This is the single biggest learner mistake in the colour family.",{"q":1202,"a":1203},"What is the difference between marron and brun?","Marron is the everyday word for brown when you are describing objects, clothes, shoes, hair on animals or the colour of eyes. Brun is reserved for human hair colour (cheveux bruns), beer (bière brune), and as the neutral descriptor for darker-skinned people. Calling a person marron reads as racist; brun is the polite term. Tea is thé brun, not thé marron. The split is consistent enough that switching them gives you away as a learner, so it is worth memorising the small list of brun contexts and using marron everywhere else.",{},true,"\u002Fresources\u002Ffrench\u002Fcolors-in-french",{"title":28,"description":1189},"resources\u002Ffrench\u002Fcolors-in-french",[1210,1211,57,1212],"french vocabulary","french for beginners","language learning","The 11 basic French colours are rouge, orange, jaune, vert, bleu, violet, rose, marron, noir, blanc and gris. Most behave as adjectives and agree with the noun in gender and number: une robe verte, des yeux bleus, une chemise blanche. Three of them refuse to flex because they are also nouns: orange, marron and rose stay invariant (des chemises orange, no S, no E). The bigger trap is the compound-colour rule: as soon as you qualify a colour with clair, foncé, marine, ciel or any modifier, the whole phrase locks and stops agreeing. Une robe bleu clair, des yeux vert foncé, les pulls bleu marine. Marron is the everyday brown for objects; brun is for hair and beer. The US spelling colors lives in the title and slug because that is the searched form; the rest of this article uses British colour.","PWCSlIiMvt07tP4rDwXv8Bob6KHT2zltTmdTDoP0dsM",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":1216},"\u003Cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M10 18v-7m1.119-8.795a2 2 0 0 1 1.762 0l7.84 3.846A.5.5 0 0 1 20.5 7h-17a.5.5 0 0 1-.22-.949zM14 18v-7m4 7v-7M3 22h18M6 18v-7\"\u002F>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":1218},"\u003Cg fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\">\u003Cpath d=\"M12 15V3m9 12v4a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H5a2 2 0 0 1-2-2v-4\"\u002F>\u003Cpath d=\"m7 10l5 5l5-5\"\u002F>\u003C\u002Fg>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":1220},"\u003Cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M13 21h8M15 5l4 4m2.174-2.188a1 1 0 0 0-3.986-3.987L3.842 16.174a2 2 0 0 0-.5.83l-1.321 4.352a.5.5 0 0 0 .623.622l4.353-1.32a2 2 0 0 0 .83-.497z\"\u002F>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":1222},"\u003Cg fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\">\u003Crect width=\"18\" height=\"18\" x=\"3\" y=\"3\" rx=\"2\" ry=\"2\"\u002F>\u003Ccircle cx=\"9\" cy=\"9\" r=\"2\"\u002F>\u003Cpath d=\"m21 15l-3.086-3.086a2 2 0 0 0-2.828 0L6 21\"\u002F>\u003C\u002Fg>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":1224},"\u003Cg fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\">\u003Cpath d=\"M6 22a2 2 0 0 1-2-2V4a2 2 0 0 1 2-2h8a2.4 2.4 0 0 1 1.704.706l3.588 3.588A2.4 2.4 0 0 1 20 8v12a2 2 0 0 1-2 2z\"\u002F>\u003Cpath d=\"M14 2v5a1 1 0 0 0 1 1h5M10 9H8m8 4H8m8 4H8\"\u002F>\u003C\u002Fg>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":1226},"\u003Cpath fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M23.268 5.313c-.35-2.578-2.617-4.61-5.304-5.004C17.51.242 15.792 0 11.813 0h-.03c-3.98 0-4.835.242-5.288.309C3.882.692 1.496 2.518.917 5.127C.64 6.412.61 7.837.661 9.143c.074 1.874.088 3.745.26 5.611c.118 1.24.325 2.47.62 3.68c.55 2.237 2.777 4.098 4.96 4.857c2.336.792 4.849.923 7.256.38q.398-.092.786-.213c.585-.184 1.27-.39 1.774-.753a.06.06 0 0 0 .023-.043v-1.809a.05.05 0 0 0-.02-.041a.05.05 0 0 0-.046-.01a20.3 20.3 0 0 1-4.709.545c-2.73 0-3.463-1.284-3.674-1.818a5.6 5.6 0 0 1-.319-1.433a.053.053 0 0 1 .066-.054c1.517.363 3.072.546 4.632.546c.376 0 .75 0 1.125-.01c1.57-.044 3.224-.124 4.768-.422q.059-.011.11-.024c2.435-.464 4.753-1.92 4.989-5.604c.008-.145.03-1.52.03-1.67c.002-.512.167-3.63-.024-5.545m-3.748 9.195h-2.561V8.29c0-1.309-.55-1.976-1.67-1.976c-1.23 0-1.846.79-1.846 2.35v3.403h-2.546V8.663c0-1.56-.617-2.35-1.848-2.35c-1.112 0-1.668.668-1.67 1.977v6.218H4.822V8.102q0-1.965 1.011-3.12c.696-.77 1.608-1.164 2.74-1.164c1.311 0 2.302.5 2.962 1.498l.638 1.06l.638-1.06c.66-.999 1.65-1.498 2.96-1.498c1.13 0 2.043.395 2.74 1.164q1.012 1.155 1.012 3.12z\"\u002F>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":1228},"\u003Cpath fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M5.202 2.857C7.954 4.922 10.913 9.11 12 11.358c1.087-2.247 4.046-6.436 6.798-8.501C20.783 1.366 24 .213 24 3.883c0 .732-.42 6.156-.667 7.037c-.856 3.061-3.978 3.842-6.755 3.37c4.854.826 6.089 3.562 3.422 6.299c-5.065 5.196-7.28-1.304-7.847-2.97c-.104-.305-.152-.448-.153-.327c0-.121-.05.022-.153.327c-.568 1.666-2.782 8.166-7.847 2.97c-2.667-2.737-1.432-5.473 3.422-6.3c-2.777.473-5.899-.308-6.755-3.369C.42 10.04 0 4.615 0 3.883c0-3.67 3.217-2.517 5.202-1.026\"\u002F>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":1230},"\u003Cpath fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M14.234 10.162L22.977 0h-2.072l-7.591 8.824L7.251 0H.258l9.168 13.343L.258 24H2.33l8.016-9.318L16.749 24h6.993zm-2.837 3.299l-.929-1.329L3.076 1.56h3.182l5.965 8.532l.929 1.329l7.754 11.09h-3.182z\"\u002F>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":1232,"hidden":1205},"\u003Cpath fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M20.447 20.452h-3.554v-5.569c0-1.328-.027-3.037-1.852-3.037c-1.853 0-2.136 1.445-2.136 2.939v5.667H9.351V9h3.414v1.561h.046c.477-.9 1.637-1.85 3.37-1.85c3.601 0 4.267 2.37 4.267 5.455v6.286zM5.337 7.433a2.06 2.06 0 0 1-2.063-2.065a2.064 2.064 0 1 1 2.063 2.065m1.782 13.019H3.555V9h3.564zM22.225 0H1.771C.792 0 0 .774 0 1.729v20.542C0 23.227.792 24 1.771 24h20.451C23.2 24 24 23.227 24 22.271V1.729C24 .774 23.2 0 22.222 0z\"\u002F>",1781519463112]