compound colour adjectives

Most French learners know that adjectives normally agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. For colours, that means changing the ending:

  • un chapeau vert → une robe verte
  • des chapeaux verts → des robes vertes

But there’s a twist. Sometimes, even if the noun is feminine or plural, the colour adjective stays in its masculine singular form.


When colours are invariable: compound adjectives

When a colour is made up of two words — either two colours combined, or a colour plus a descriptive word — French grammar treats the whole expression as invariable. That means it never changes to match the noun’s gender or number.

Examples with a colour + descriptive word

  • une nappe vert pâle (not verte pâle)
  • des rideaux bleu foncé (not bleus foncés)
  • une fleur jaune vif (not jaune vive)

Examples with two colours combined

  • une jupe bleu-vert
  • des coussins gris-bleu

In these cases, the first colour word does not take an -e or -s, because the two words together form a single, fixed unit of meaning.


Common invariable colour expressions in French

Below is a table of frequent compound colour adjectives. These stay invariable regardless of the noun’s gender or number.

Compound colourMeaningExample
vert pâlepale greenune robe vert pâle
vert foncédark greendes rideaux vert foncé
bleu clairlight blueune nappe bleu clair
bleu foncédark bluedes murs bleu foncé
bleu-vertblue-greenune jupe bleu-vert
gris-bleubluish greydes coussins gris-bleu
jaune vifbright yellowun pull jaune vif
jaune pâlepale yellowdes fleurs jaune pâle
rouge foncédark redune nappe rouge foncé
rouge vifbright reddes chaussures rouge vif
noir bleutébluish blackun tissu noir bleuté
blanc casséoff-whitedes murs blanc cassé
gris perlepearl greyune écharpe gris perle
gris clairlight greydes rideaux gris clair
gris foncédark greyun manteau gris foncé
rose pâlepale pinkune chemise rose pâle
beige rosépinkish beigeun canapé beige rosé
marron clairlight browndes bottes marron clair
marron foncédark brownun sac marron foncé

Why this rule exists

French treats compound colours as if they are labels for a specific shade, rather than separate adjectives describing the noun. Since the two words work together to describe just one colour, the grammar doesn’t make them agree individually.

It’s the same reason we wouldn’t say verts foncés in des rideaux vert foncé — changing the first word would break the fixed label.


Summary rule

If your colour is only one word (like vert, rouge, noir), make it agree:

  • une robe verte
  • des chaussures noires

If your colour is two words (like vert pâle, bleu clair, gris-bleu), keep it invariable:

  • une robe vert pâle
  • des chaussures gris-bleu

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