Colors in French
If you want to describe how something looks, then chances are you'll need to learn some French color words. After all, if you want to talk about a blue sky or a yellow sun, or even the blue, white, and red of the national flag of France (in French, the "drapeau national de la France"), then color words become pretty essential.
Look below for the English translations of 81 color words and phrases in French. First up you'll find the list of 8 color-related words, then a longer list of 36 standard color translations, followed by the list of 22 descriptive colors. There's also 14 sentences and short phrases with colors to help you use the learned colors in everyday conversations.
List of 81 Color Words and Phrases in French:
Words in bold added during the last update. You can also view this list of colors from English to French.
Quick Links:
Color-Related Words in French
Basic French Colors A-Z
French to English Descriptive Colors
Sentences with French Colors
Color-Related Words in French
Here are eight words about colors, but not actual color words.
Les couleurs ➔ The colors
Couleur ➔ Color
Multicolore ➔ Multi-colored
Clair ➔ Light
Vif ➔ Bright
Foncé ➔ Dark
Terne ➔ Dull
Fluo ➔ Fluorescent
Basic French Colors A-Z
Now onto the more basic colors. See translations for 36 standard colors below.
Améthyste ➔ Amethyst
Argenté ➔ Silver
Aubergine ➔ Eggplant (dark purple)
Beige ➔ Beige
Blanc ➔ White
Bleu ➔ Blue
Bleu sarcelle ➔ Teal
Bordeaux ➔ Maroon
Brun ➔ Brown
Chartreuse ➔ Chartreuse (green / yellow mix)
Corail ➔ Coral
Cramoisi ➔ Crimson
Crème ➔ Cream
Doré ➔ Gold
Gris ➔ Gray / Grey
Ivoire ➔ Ivory
Jaune ➔ Yellow
Lavande ➔ Lavender
Lilas ➔ Lilac
Marron ➔ Brown
Mauve ➔ Mauve
Noir ➔ Black
Or ➔ Gold
Orange ➔ Orange
Pêche ➔ Peach
Pervenche ➔ Periwinkle
Pourpre ➔ Purple
Rose ➔ Pink
Rouge ➔ Red
Rouille ➔ Rust
Sarcelle ➔ Teal
Sépia ➔ Sepia
Tan ➔ Tan
Turquoise ➔ Turquoise
Vert ➔ Green
Vert d'eau ➔ Cyan
Violet ➔ Purple
French to English Descriptive Colors
Do you need to be a little more descriptive? See translations for 22 descriptive colors below.
Blanc cassé ➔ Off white
Bleu ciel ➔ Sky blue
Bleu clair ➔ Light blue
Bleu foncé ➔ Dark blue
Bleu marine ➔ Navy blue
Bleu roi ➔ Royal blue
Brun clair ➔ Light brown / Tan
Gris clair ➔ Light gray / Light grey
Gris foncé ➔ Dark gray / Dark grey
Jaune citron ➔ Lemon yellow
Jaune d'or ➔ Golden yellow
Rouge brique ➔ Brick red
Rouge clair ➔ Light red
Rouge foncé ➔ Dark red
Vert citron ➔ Lime green
Vert clair ➔ Light green
Vert émeraude ➔ Emerald green
Vert foncé ➔ Dark green
Vert forêt ➔ Forest green
Vert marin ➔ Sea green
Vert sauge ➔ Sage green
Violet clair ➔ Light purple
Sentences with French Colors
And here are 14 sentences or short phrases to help show you how to use the colors in everyday conversations.
Blanc comme un linge ➔ White as a sheet
Des yeux marrons ➔ Brown eyes
J'ai les cheveux noirs. ➔ I have black hair.
J'ai les yeux bruns. ➔ I have brown eyes.
J'aime le rouge. ➔ I like red.
L'herbe est verte. ➔ The grass is green.
La neige est blanche. ➔ The snow is white.
Le ciel est bleu. ➔ The sky is blue.
Le soleil est jaune. ➔ The sun is yellow.
Le tapis rouge ➔ The red carpet
Les cheveux bruns ➔ Brown hair
Les cheveux noirs ➔ Black hair
Ma couleur préférée est le vert. ➔ My favorite color is green.
Un citron vert ➔ A lime (lit. a green lemon)
This list of French colors was last updated on March 13, 2025.
Next Up
French Country Names: Learn how to say country names and nationalities in French.
Perhaps you want to learn color words in these other languages?
Burmese, French, German, Greek, Hawaiian, Japanese, Korean, Romanian, Spanish, and Urdu.
The Fine Print