Learn how to describe colours in French and use essential coordinating conjunctions such as et, ou, car, and mais to form connected sentences. This lesson covers natural and bright colours, practical dialogues, and verb conjugation exercises to help you communicate preferences, choices, and reasons effectively.
Listening & reading materials
Practice vocabulary in context with real materials.
Vocabulary (15) Share Copied!
Exercises Share Copied!
These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.
Exercise 1: Reorder sentences
Instruction: Make correct sentences and translate.
Exercise 2: Match a word
Instruction: Match the translations
Exercise 3: Cluster the words
Instruction: Classify these words into two categories according to whether they designate natural colors or bright colors.
Couleurs naturelles
Couleurs vives
Exercise 4: Translate and use in a sentence
Instruction: Pick a word, translated and use the word in a sentence or dialogue.
1
Vert
Green
2
Jaune
Yellow
3
Violet
Purple
4
Gris
Grey
5
Peindre
To paint
Exercice 5: Exercice de conversation
Instruction:
- Décris les couleurs des vêtements. (Describe the colours of the clothes.)
- Décrivez la couleur des cheveux de chaque personne. (Describe the hair colour of each person.)
- Décrivez votre apparence. (Describe your own appearance.)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
Les chaussures sont blanches. The shoes are white. |
Elle a les cheveux bruns. She has brown hair. |
La femme porte un costume jaune. The woman is wearing a yellow suite. |
Elle a les cheveux blonds. She has blond hair. |
Je porte un chemisier violet. I'm wearing a purple blouse. |
Alice porte des bottes noires. Alice is wearing black boots. |
Elle porte un jean. She is wearing a pair of jeans. |
... |
Exercise 6: Dialogue Cards
Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.
Exercise 7: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct solution
1. Je ______ les murs en bleu et gris.
(I ______ the walls blue and gray.)2. Tu ______ un dessin avec des couleurs vives.
(You ______ a drawing with bright colors.)3. Il ______ en rose pour la fête.
(He ______ in pink for the party.)4. Nous ______ les meubles en blanc et marron.
(We ______ the furniture white and brown.)Exercise 8: The room decoration
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Peindre - To paint
Présent
- je peins
- tu peins
- il/elle peint
- nous peignons
- vous peignez
- ils/elles peignent
Créer - To create
Présent
- je crée
- tu crées
- il/elle crée
- nous créons
- vous créez
- ils/elles créent
Se maquiller - To put on makeup
Présent
- je me maquille
- tu te maquilles
- il/elle se maquille
- nous nous maquillons
- vous vous maquillez
- ils/elles se maquillent
Exercise 9: Les conjonctions de coordination:"Et", "Ou", "Car", "Mais"
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: Coordinating conjunctions: "Et", "Ou", "Car", "Mais"
Show translation Show answerscar, mais, ou, et
Grammar Share Copied!
It's not the most exciting thing, we admit, but it’s absolutely essential (and we promise it'll pay off)!
A1.24.2 Grammaire
Les conjonctions de coordination:"Et", "Ou", "Car", "Mais"
Coordinating conjunctions: "Et", "Ou", "Car", "Mais"
Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Peindre to paint Share Copied!
present
French | English |
---|---|
(je/j') peins | I paint |
(tu) peins | You paint |
(il/elle/on) peint | he/she/one paints |
(nous) peignons | we paint |
(vous) peignez | you paint |
(ils/elles) peignent | they paint |
Créer to believe Share Copied!
present
French | English |
---|---|
(je/j') crée | I believe |
(tu) crées | you believe |
(il/elle/on) crée | he/ she/ one believes |
(nous) créons | we believe |
(vous) créez | you believe |
(ils/elles) créent | they believe |
Se maquiller to put on makeup Share Copied!
present
French | English |
---|---|
(je/j') je me maquille | I put on makeup |
tu te maquilles | You put on makeup |
il/elle/on se maquille | he/she/one puts on makeup |
nous nous maquillons | we put on makeup |
vous vous maquillez | You put on makeup |
ils/elles se maquillent | They put on makeup. |
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Learning Colours and Coordinating Conjunctions in French
This lesson focuses on describing colours while introducing important coordinating conjunctions that help connect ideas in French sentences. You will learn how to talk about different colours and combine phrases using the conjunctions et (and), ou (or), car (because), and mais (but).
Colours Covered
The lesson divides colours into two main categories: natural colours such as le blanc (white), le noir (black), le marron (brown), and le gris (grey), and bright colours like le jaune (yellow), le rouge (red), le bleu (blue), and le vert (green). This classification helps with vocabulary retention and practical use when describing objects and preferences.
Using Coordinating Conjunctions
Key conjunctions allow you to combine sentences fluently. For example, Je préfère le bleu et le vert means "I prefer blue and green." You can also use ou to express choices, like tu veux la robe rose ou la robe jaune ? (Do you want the pink dress or the yellow dress?). The conjunction car explains reasons: Elle choisit le rouge car c’est sa couleur préférée (She chooses red because it’s her favorite colour). Lastly, mais introduces contrast: Il peint les murs en blanc mais il aime aussi le gris (He paints the walls white but also likes grey).
Practical Dialogues and Activities
The lesson provides sample dialogues for real-life situations like shopping for clothes, talking about car colours, and describing hair, helping you practice conjunctions with vocabulary about colours. You will also find exercises focusing on verb conjugation related to painting and creating, reinforcing your language skills in context.
Important Notes on French Usage
Unlike English, French adjectives for colours agree in gender and number with the nouns they describe, though some invariant colours like marron do not change. The conjunction car is used more formally in French than “because” in English.
Useful phrases:
- Je peins ma chambre en bleu et en gris. – I paint my room blue and grey.
- Tu préfères le rouge ou le jaune ? – Do you prefer red or yellow?
- Elle se maquille en rose pour la fête. – She puts on pink makeup for the party.