Chapter 3: Les Nombres et Les Couleurs (Numbers & Colors)
Master counting from 0 to 20 and learn to describe the world in color.
Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
Count from zero to twenty in French.
Recognize and pronounce the basic colors.
Describe objects using simple color adjectives.
Understand basic gender agreement for colors.
Introduction
Numbers and colors are everywhere! Whether you're buying three apples or describing a red car, these are essential building blocks for your French vocabulary. In this chapter, we will focus on the numbers 0-20 and the primary colors you'll encounter daily.
Vocabulary
Les Nombres 0-20 (The Numbers 0-20)
0 - zéro
1 - un
2 - deux
3 - trois
4 - quatre
5 - cinq
6 - six
7 - sept
8 - huit
9 - neuf
10 - dix
11 - onze
12 - douze
13 - treize
14 - quatorze
15 - quinze
16 - seize
17 - dix-sept
18 - dix-huit
19 - dix-neuf
20 - vingt
Les Couleurs (The Colors)
Masculine / Feminine: French adjectives (like colors) change based on the gender of the noun they describe. When you see two forms like noir / noire, the first is masculine and the second is feminine.
Example: un stylo noir (masculine) vs une voiture noire (feminine).
rouge(red)
bleu / bleue(blue)
jaune(yellow)
vert / verte(green)
orange(orange)
violet / violette(purple)
noir / noire(black)
blanc / blanche(white)
rose(pink)
gris / grise(gray)
Grammar Tip: Colors ending in -e (rouge, jaune, orange, rose) usually imply the same spelling for both masculine and feminine singular.