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Adjectives: special agreements

Les adjectifs : accords particuliers

Les adjectifs qui ont des accords irréguliers suivent des règles spécifiques selon leur catégorie.

(Adjectives that have irregular agreement follow specific rules depending on their category.)

Color adjectives: the 3 patterns you must recognize

  • Simple color (one basic adjective) → it agrees with the noun.
  • Color from a noun (often a thing: orange, marron, chocolat, etc.) → invariable (no -e / no -s).
  • Compound color (2+ words: “bleu clair”, “vert foncé”) → invariable (nothing changes).

Key skill: don’t ask “is it a color?”—ask “what type of color adjective is it?”

1) Simple colors: agreement like a normal adjective

With a simple color adjective, add the usual endings for gender/number.

Masculine singular un drap blanc
Feminine singular une serviette blanche
Masculine plural des draps blancs
Feminine plural des serviettes blanches
  • Correct: des fleurs blanches
  • Correct: une voiture rouge / des voitures rouges

2) Colors “from a noun”: invariable (the common trap)

Many French color words come from things (nouns). In that case, they usually stay exactly the same.

  • Correct: des rideaux orange (not oranges)
  • Correct: des chaussures marron (not marrons)

Quick test: Can the color word also be a “thing” in French (an orange, a chestnut)? If yes, it often behaves as invariable.

Important exception: “rose” often agrees

Some noun-based colors are commonly treated like normal adjectives. The one you will meet early is:

  • une serviette rose / des serviettes roses

Note: You may hear variation with some colors in real life, but for A2 accuracy, follow the rule above: orange = invariable, rose = agrees.

3) Compound colors: always invariable

If the color is made of two (or more) words, it does not change.

  • Correct: une chemise bleu clair
  • Correct: des chemises bleu clair (not bleues claires)
  • Correct: des murs vert foncé

Think: it’s like a fixed label (“light blue”), not a regular adjective.

“Demi”: meaning and position change the grammar

  • Before the noun → invariable: demi
  • After the noun → it agrees: demie / demies
Before une demi-heure
After (fem. sing.) une heure et demie
After (fem. plural) deux semaines et demies

Self-check: Is demi written before the noun? If yes → no ending.

Numeral adjectives: cardinal vs ordinal (don’t mix them)

  • Cardinal numbers (how many?) → invariable: un, deux, vingt, cent…
  • Ordinal numbers (which one in order?) → agree like adjectives: premier/première, troisième, vingtième…
Cardinal Il y a vingt personnes. (not vingts)
Ordinal La première fois. / Le troisième étage.

Final self-check (10 seconds before you answer)

  1. Color: simple (= agrees) / noun-based (= invariable) / compound (= invariable)?
  2. Demi: before noun (= demi) or after noun (= demie/demies)?
  3. Number: quantity (= cardinal, invariable) or order (= ordinal, agrees)?
 Règles (Rules)Exemples (Examples)
Adjectifs de couleur (Color adjectives)

Couleur simple (Simple color) Adjectif s'accorde (The adjective agrees)

Couleur dérivée d'un nom (Color derived from a noun) Adjectif invariable (The adjective is invariable)

Couleur composée (Compound color) Adjectif invariable (The adjective is invariable)

Des fleurs blanches (Some white flowers)

Mes chaussures orange (My orange shoes)

La chemise bleu clair (The light blue shirt)

Demi (Half)

Après le nom (After the noun) Adjectif s'accorde (The adjective agrees)

Avant le nom (Before the noun) Adjectif invariable (The adjective is invariable)

Deux heures et demie (Two and a half hours)

Une demi heure (Half an hour)

Adjectifs numéraux (Numeral adjectives)

Ordinaux (Ordinals) Adjectif s'accorde (The adjective agrees)

Cardinaux (Cardinals) Adjectif invariable (The adjective is invariable)

La première fois (The first time)

Il y a vingt personnes (There are twenty people)

Exceptions!

  1. Some color adjectives derived from nouns agree like 'rose'.

Exercise 1: Multiple choice

Instruction: Choose the correct answer

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1. Nous avons une chambre avec des serviettes ___ et un petit-déjeuner inclus.

We have a room with ___ towels and breakfast included.

2. Je préfère une chambre avec des rideaux ___, pas rouges.

I prefer a room with ___ curtains, not red ones.

3. Je voudrais une ___ au spa, s'il vous plaît.

I would like a ___ at the spa, please.

4. Votre chambre est au ___ étage, près des toilettes.

Your room is on the ___ floor, near the toilets.

Exercise 2: Rewrite the phrases

Instruction: Rewrite and correct the noun + adjective group (colour, half, ordinal numeral adjective) so that the adjective agrees correctly or remains invariable, for example: "Des fleurs blanches".

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Show/Hide translation Show/Hide hints
  1. J’achète deux chemises bleu claires.
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    J’achète deux chemises bleu clair.
    (I buy two light blue shirts.)
  2. Elle porte une jupe violette et des chaussures orangees.
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Elle porte une jupe violette et des chaussures orange.
    (She is wearing a purple skirt and orange shoes.)
  3. Nous avons des rideaux marrons dans le salon.
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Nous avons des rideaux marron dans le salon.
    (We have brown curtains in the living room.)
  4. Ils ont trois filles et c’est leur troisièmes enfant.
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Ils ont trois filles et c’est leur troisième enfant.
    (They have three daughters and it is their third child.)

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This content has been designed and reviewed by the coLanguage pedagogical team: About coLanguage

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Azéline Perrin

Bachelor Degree in Applied Foreign Languages

Université de Lorraine

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Last Updated:

Friday, 01/05/2026 15:05