How to Say Colors in French

Learn your colors: Red/Rouge Pink/Rose Orange/Orange Yellow/Jaune Green/Vert Blue/Bleu Purple/Violet Gray/Gris Black/Noir White/Blanc Brown/Brun or Marron; , Learn basic French pronunciation rules., Keep the following in mind when pronouncing...

4 Steps 2 min read Medium

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 1: Learn your colors: Red/Rouge Pink/Rose Orange/Orange Yellow/Jaune Green/Vert Blue/Bleu Purple/Violet Gray/Gris Black/Noir White/Blanc Brown/Brun or Marron;

    "R" is pronounced from the back of the mouth, close to the throat (think of a softer version of Hebrew "ch"). "A" is a short "O" sound.

    In this article, "J" is a sound that is somewhat of a cross between "j" and the "sh" noise.

    Softer than J but not quite "sh". , The only difference is that the "r" comes softly from the back of the mouth.

    Pink/Rose: "Rose" is pronounced just like you would in English, but again with that "French" R sound.

    Orange/Orange:
    In English, you emphasize the first syllable but in French you're going to emphasize the second syllable and make sure that the "a" makes a short "o" sound.

    Pronounce it like "oh RONJ".

    Yellow/Jaune:
    Think of the French name Jean, a form of John.

    Say "Jean" but make the kind of short "o" noise you make more into sounding like the word "oh".

    Green/Vert:
    The T is silent.

    Pronounce it like "air" with a V in front.

    Blue/Bleu:
    Sounds the same.

    Purple/Violet:
    VEE-oh-lay.

    Gray/Gris:
    Think of the word "agree".

    Leave off the "a" at the beginning and there you go! Black/Noir:
    Have you ever heard of filme noir, a genre of American cinema a few decades ago? Noir is pronounced like that--and if you're still not sure: no-R (pronounce that R like the letter).

    White/Blanc:
    Think of the word "blank".

    Now make the "a" noise into a short "o" noise.
  2. Step 2: Learn basic French pronunciation rules.

  3. Step 3: Keep the following in mind when pronouncing individual colors: Red/Rouge: "Rouge" is pronounced just like the type of makeup (if that's unclear

  4. Step 4: it's pretty much "rooj").

Detailed Guide

"R" is pronounced from the back of the mouth, close to the throat (think of a softer version of Hebrew "ch"). "A" is a short "O" sound.

In this article, "J" is a sound that is somewhat of a cross between "j" and the "sh" noise.

Softer than J but not quite "sh". , The only difference is that the "r" comes softly from the back of the mouth.

Pink/Rose: "Rose" is pronounced just like you would in English, but again with that "French" R sound.

Orange/Orange:
In English, you emphasize the first syllable but in French you're going to emphasize the second syllable and make sure that the "a" makes a short "o" sound.

Pronounce it like "oh RONJ".

Yellow/Jaune:
Think of the French name Jean, a form of John.

Say "Jean" but make the kind of short "o" noise you make more into sounding like the word "oh".

Green/Vert:
The T is silent.

Pronounce it like "air" with a V in front.

Blue/Bleu:
Sounds the same.

Purple/Violet:
VEE-oh-lay.

Gray/Gris:
Think of the word "agree".

Leave off the "a" at the beginning and there you go! Black/Noir:
Have you ever heard of filme noir, a genre of American cinema a few decades ago? Noir is pronounced like that--and if you're still not sure: no-R (pronounce that R like the letter).

White/Blanc:
Think of the word "blank".

Now make the "a" noise into a short "o" noise.

About the Author

R

Richard Sanders

Specializes in breaking down complex lifestyle topics into simple steps.

45 articles
View all articles

Rate This Guide

--
Loading...
5
0
4
0
3
0
2
0
1
0

How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: