Thursday, December 26, 2019
All the Pretty Colors French Adjectives of Color
The French have long been in love with color, and they have many names for pure and nuanced color. Here are some of the most common French colors, plus color variations and other extras for anyone who loves color as much as the French do. There are, of course, many more French colors than we have listed here, especially in French fashionà and in French beauty products like makeup and hair color. But this will give you a taste of French colors and the rules that govern their usage. Lets start at the beginning with laà couleur,à whichà is a feminine noun, as in les couleurs primaires (primary colors) and les couleurs complà ©mentaires (complementary colors). The colors themselves are adjectives describing something, such as une jolie couleur verte (a pretty shade of green). The Rules of Color Agreement Some colors (remember, theyre adjectives) agree with the noun they modify; others dont. According to the rules of color agreement, colors based on the names of fruit, flowers, precious stones, metals, and other elements of nature are invariable (invariable, do not change form), as are compound colors consisting ofà two or moreà colors (a blue green chair) or a color with an adjective of intensity (a dark blue chair). The remaining French colors agree with the nouns that they modify. Exceptions:à pourpre and violet (purple), mauve (mauve), rose (pink), eà carlate (scarlet red), fauve (fawn),à and incarnat (crimson red), which do agree with the number and gender of the noun they modify. When in doubt, check a French dictionary, which will show both masculine and feminine forms of any color that changes in agreement with its noun or it will say adjectif invariableà for any color that does not change, i.e., is invariable. A Few Colors (Couleurs) Abricotà apricotAmbre à amber (dark orange yellow)Argentà ©Ã à silverà Avocatà avocadoBeige beigeBlanc or blancheà white;à à ©cruà off-white;à cà ©ruseà old white;à coquille doeufà white with a touch of pinkish tan, like an egg;à crà ¨meà cream;à blanc dEspagneà Spanish white, slightly cream;à blanc cassà ©Ã broken white between crà ¨me and bisBleu blue;à bleu ardoise slate blue;à bleu canard peacock blue;à bleu cielà sky blue; bleu marine navy blue;à bleu nuit midnight blue;à bleu outremer ultramarineBrun brown, dark;à brun cuivrà ©Ã à tawny;à brun rouxà auburnChocolatà chocolate brownDorà © golden,à golden brown, the color of giltFauve fawn (taupe, light grayish brown)Gris gray;à fumà ©e smoke; cendre ash;à bis soft greyJauneà yellow;à jaune citronà lemon yellow;à jaune coingà [bright] quince yellow;à jaune dorà golden yellow;à jaune moutardeà mustard yello w;à jaune pailleà straw yellow;à jauneà canarià canary yellow;à jaune poussinà chick yellow, bright yellowMarronà (horse chestnut) à brown;à marron glacà © light chestnut brown; cafà © au lait light brownMauveà mauveMulticolore à multicoloredNoir black;à à ©bà ¨ne ebonyOrangeà orangeà Pourpre purpleRoseà pinkRouge red;à eà carlateà scarlet;à incarnatà crimsonà Transparent transparentTurquoiseà turquoiseVert green; vert citron lime green; vert sapin pineà green, forest green;à vert prà © / vert gazon grass green; olive / pistache / à ©meraude olive / pistachio / emerald; vert pomme / deau / bouteille apple / sea / bottle greenVioletà orà violetteà violet Invariables: Colors Based on Elements of Nature Color adjectives based on elements of nature such as the names of flowers, fruits, precious and other stones, or metals are generally invariable, meaning they do not agree with the noun they modify and, therefore, do not change form. Many are compound adjectives such as jaune citron, which also makes them invariable; take away the main color such as jaune and leave only the modifier from nature such as citron, and you still have an invariable, unchanging adjective. Some common colors that derive their names from fruits, stones, metals, flowers and other elements of natureà include: Abricotà apricotAmbreà à amber (dark orange yellow)Avocatà avocadoBleu ardoiseà slate blue;à bleu canardà peacock blueBriqueà brick redBronzeà bronzeChocolat chocolate brownÃâ°bà ¨neà ebony (black)Fuschiaà fuschiaJaune citronà lemon yellow; jaune coing quince yellow, bright yellow;à jaune dorà golden yellow;à jaune moutardeà mustard yellow;à jaune pailleà straw yellow;à jaune canarià canary yellow;à jaune poussinà chick yellow, bright yellowLavandeà lavenderMarronà (horse chestnut) brown;à marron glacà ©Ã light chestnut brown;à cafà © au laità light brownNoisetteà hazelnutOrangeà orangeTurquoiseà turquoiseVert citron lime green;à vert sapin à pine green, forest green;à vert prà © / vert gazon à grass green; olive / pistache / à ©meraude à olive / pistachio / emerald; vert pomme / deau / bouteille à apple / sea / bottle green Because these are invariable (do not agree in gender and number), you would say: Des cravates orange orange ties (not oranges)Des yeux marron brown eyes (not marrons)Des yeux noisette hazel eyes (not noisettes)Des fleurs fuschiaà fuschia-colored flowers (not fuschia/e/s)Des chaussures citronà à lemon yellow shoes (not citron/e/s)Des à pantalons cerise cherry red pants (not cerises) Exceptions:à pourpre and violet (purple), mauve (mauve), rose (pink), eà carlate (scarlet red), fauve (fawn), andà incarnat (crimson red), which agree with the number and gender of the noun they modify. For example: Des chaussures fauves taupe shoes More Invariables: Compound Colors When a color consists of two or more colors or a color and an adjective of intensity, then the color adjectives are invariable, meaning they do not agree in number and gender with the noun they describe. Une chemise bleu vert (not bleue verte)Des yeux gris bleu (not gris bleus)Une robe vert paÃâle (not verte paÃâle) And More Invariables: Adjectives ofà Intensity Color Adjectives describing the nuances or degrees of intensity oftenà modify colors. Together, they form a compound color such asà rose clairà (light pink)à that is invariable. Such adjectives of intensity include: Clair à lightFonceà à darkVifà brightPaÃâleà pale
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