It really doesn't matter whether or not you have a good memory. You can learn to say colors in French with just a little practice.
1Learn your colors:
- Brown/Brun or Marron
2Learn basic French pronunciation rules. "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".
3Keep the following in mind when pronouncing individual colors:
- Red/Rouge: "Rouge" is pronounced just like the type of makeup (if that's unclear, it's pretty much "rooj"). 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.
Questions and Answers
Give us 3 minutes of knowledge!
- Be very careful not to read French words as they are spelled, there are a whole ton of mistakes in the reading so just go along with the flow... you'll get a hang of it.
- Try to practice speaking new French words before you try to use them in conversations. If you make a mistake, certain people may not understand what you are saying.
In other languages:
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