Want to describe your new jacket, order flowers, or talk about the French flag? Colors are everywhere—and in French, color words are adjectives that need to agree with the noun. Today you’ll learn key color vocab and the A1 rules for adjective agreement so your French sounds natural from day one.

Essential color words (A1)

Below are the most common colors you’ll use in daily life. Notice that in French, color adjectives usually come after the noun.

Agreement basics (A1)

• Color adjectives agree with the noun in gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural).
• Most colors form the feminine by adding -e and the plural by adding -s.
• Placement: color adjectives generally come after the noun.

Examples:

• un sac rouge → des sacs rouges
• une robe bleue → des robes bleues
• un t-shirt vert → des t-shirts verts

J’ai une voiture .

Nous achetons des t-shirts .

The verb être with colors

We often use être + color to describe people and things: "Le sac est noir." "La maison est blanche."

Invariable colors and compound shades

Two common colors do not change: orange and marron. Keep them the same for masculine/feminine and singular/plural.

• des sacs orange (not oranges)
• des bottes marron (not marrons)

Compound shades like bleu clair (light blue) or vert foncé (dark green) are typically invariable for beginners: des chemises bleu clair, des pantalons vert foncé.

Des chaussures marrons → Des chaussures marron Marron is invariable—no -s or -e.

Ils portent des chaussures .

Real-life mini-dialogue

Practice hearing colors and agreement in a shop situation.

Placement reminder

In French, color adjectives usually come after the noun:

• une robe rouge
• des chaussures noires
• un pull gris

When you mention two separate colors, use et: une robe bleue et blanche (blue and white dress).

Cultural notes

• The French flag is bleu, blanc, rouge (blue, white, red).
• In shops, you’ll often hear shades like bleu clair (light blue) and bleu foncé (dark blue).
• Fashion classic: la marinière (striped sailor shirt)—often white and navy (bleu marine).
• Green (vert) is strongly associated with ecology and sustainability in French media.

Your turn: short practice

Describe 3 items around you in French using colors. Keep agreement in mind.

• Example: "une tasse rouge", "des chaussettes bleues", "un téléphone noir".

If you’re unsure, use être + color: "Ma valise est grise."

Final mini-check

Can you transform the sentences to match the noun?

• un sac vert → des sacs ___ (answer: verts)
• une jupe violette → des jupes ___ (answer: violettes)
• des chaussures marron → une chaussure ___ (answer: marron)

You’ve got this! Keep noticing colors around you and saying them out loud in French. The more you practice agreement, the more automatic it becomes.