The color red, or rouge, is one of the first colors you'll learn in French. It's the color of passion, a stop sign, and a glass of Bordeaux wine. But the French language, known for its richness and precision, offers a whole palette of words for this vibrant hue.

Just as you wouldn't call every shade of blue the same, moving beyond the simple rouge will make your French sound more authentic and descriptive. Whether you're describing a crimson sunset over Paris or a cherry-red dress in a shop window, there's a perfect word for it.

Let's explore nine different ways to say 'red' and add a splash of color to your French vocabulary!

The standard 'red' – rouge

The most common and standard word for 'red' in French is rouge. It's the go-to translation you'll use in most situations, whether you're describing a car, a piece of fruit, or a piece of clothing.

Pronounced roughly as /ʁuʒ/, the sound is very similar to the English word 'rouge' (as in the makeup), but with a characteristic guttural French 'r' at the beginning. It's a single, smooth syllable.

One of the simplest things about rouge is its agreement in the singular form. Because it already ends in an '-e', it does not change between masculine and feminine nouns.

Masculine: un stylo rouge (a red pen)
Feminine: une voiture rouge (a red car)

To make rouge plural, you simply add an 's' to the end, making it rouges. This plural form is used for both masculine and feminine plural nouns.

Masculine Plural: des stylos rouges (red pens)
Feminine Plural: des voitures rouges (red cars)

Beyond its use as an adjective, rouge can also be a noun. Le rouge can refer to 'the color red' itself, 'red wine', or even 'lipstick' (rouge à lèvres). Context is key to understanding its meaning.

Rouge is also found in several common French idioms:

Être dans le rouge: To be in debt (literally 'to be in the red').
Voir rouge: To see red, to become extremely angry.
Le fil rouge: The common thread or central theme.

💡 * J'ai acheté une belle robe rouge.

Les feuilles deviennent rouges en automne.

Attention, le feu de circulation est rouge !

Pour le dîner, je préfère un verre de rouge.

Il est fâché, il voit rouge !

The 'wine red' or 'burgundy' – bordeaux

The 'wine red' or 'burgundy' – bordeaux

In French, the color for a deep, rich red, similar to burgundy or wine red, is bordeaux. It's a direct and common way to describe this specific shade, named directly after the famous French wine.

The most important thing to remember about bordeaux as a color is that it is an invariable adjective. This means it does not change to agree in gender or number with the noun it modifies.

Why is it invariable? The rule in French is that colors derived from nouns (like fruits, flowers, or, in this case, a wine/place) do not change. You are essentially saying the item is 'the color of Bordeaux wine'.

This rule applies universally. For example, you would say un pull bordeaux (a burgundy sweater) for a masculine singular noun, and des robes bordeaux (burgundy dresses) for a feminine plural noun. The spelling of bordeaux remains identical.

This color is frequently used to describe clothing (dresses, scarves, ties), accessories like handbags, and even lipstick (rouge à lèvres bordeaux). It conveys a sense of elegance and sophistication.

💡 * Elle porte une magnifique robe bordeaux.

J'ai acheté des gants bordeaux pour l'hiver.

Les murs de son salon sont peints en bordeaux.

Il a une cravate bordeaux très chic.

The 'poppy red' – coquelicot

The word coquelicot is the French term for the common poppy, the vibrant red flower often seen in fields. It's a specific and evocative word that goes beyond a simple translation.

Beyond the flower itself, coquelicot is widely used in French to describe a specific, bright, and slightly orange-tinted shade of red, much like 'poppy red' in English. It's a common and poetic color name.

As a noun referring to the flower, coquelicot is masculine: le coquelicot (the poppy) or des coquelicots (poppies). You'll often hear it in contexts related to nature and landscapes.

When used as an adjective to describe color, coquelicot is invariable. This is a crucial rule for colors derived from nouns. It does not change to agree with the gender or number of the noun it modifies. For example: une robe coquelicot (a poppy-red dress) or des foulards coquelicot (poppy-red scarves).

The coquelicot holds cultural significance, particularly as a symbol of remembrance for soldiers who died in wartime, similar to its role in other countries. While the bleuet (cornflower) is the primary flower of remembrance in France for WWI, the poppy is also widely recognized.

💡 * J'ai vu un champ de coquelicots en Provence. (I saw a field of poppies in Provence.)

Elle portait une jupe coquelicot pour la fête. (She wore a poppy-red skirt to the party.)

Ses joues sont devenues coquelicot quand il a parlé. (His cheeks turned poppy red when he spoke.)

Le coquelicot est une fleur délicate. (The poppy is a delicate flower.)

The 'crimson' – cramoisi

The 'crimson' – cramoisi

Cramoisi is the French word for 'crimson.' It describes a deep, rich red color, often with a slight purplish tint. This makes it more specific and evocative than the general term for red, rouge.

As an adjective, cramoisi must agree in gender and number with the noun it describes. The feminine form is cramoisie, and the plural forms are cramoisis (masculine) and cramoisies (feminine).

This color is often used in literature and descriptive writing to evoke a sense of luxury, royalty, or intense emotion. You'll see it used to describe rich fabrics like velvet, the color of wine, a deep sunset, or someone blushing with embarrassment.

💡 * Le roi portait un manteau de velours cramoisi.

Ses joues sont devenues cramoisies de honte.

Le ciel du soir était teinté de nuances cramoisies.

Elle a choisi une rose cramoisie dans le jardin.

The 'scarlet' – écarlate

To describe a brilliant, vivid shade of red in French, you use the word écarlate, the direct equivalent of 'scarlet'.

Écarlate refers to a bright red color, often with a slight orange tint. It's a more intense and specific shade than the general term rouge (red), evoking images of luxurious fabrics or vibrant flowers.

The most important rule for écarlate is that it's an invariable adjective. This means it does not change its form to agree in gender or number with the noun it describes. It's always écarlate, whether the noun is masculine, feminine, singular, or plural.

This invariability comes from the fact that, like many specific color names in French (e.g., orange, marron), écarlate was originally a noun (a type of scarlet cloth). When nouns are used as adjectives, they don't agree.

Use écarlate when you want to be more descriptive and poetic than simply saying rouge. It adds a touch of literary flair and precision to your French.

💡 * Elle portait une robe écarlate. (She was wearing a scarlet dress.)

Ses joues sont devenues écarlate de honte. (His/Her cheeks turned scarlet with shame.)

J'ai acheté des rideaux écarlate pour le salon. (I bought scarlet curtains for the living room.)

Les fleurs écarlate se détachaient sur le fond vert. (The scarlet flowers stood out against the green background.)

The 'cherry red' – rouge cerise

In French, the direct and most common way to say 'cherry red' is rouge cerise. This compound color name is widely understood and used in various contexts, from fashion to design.

Rouge cerise describes a specific shade of red – a deep, rich, and vibrant color, just like a ripe cherry. It implies a certain lusciousness and intensity, distinguishing it from a standard rouge (red) or a darker bordeaux (burgundy).

A key grammatical rule to remember is that when a noun (like cerise) is used as a color adjective, it becomes invariable. This means it does not agree in gender or number with the noun it modifies. For example, you say une voiture rouge cerise (a cherry-red car) and des voitures rouge cerise (cherry-red cars).

You will encounter rouge cerise when describing clothing, cars, lipstick, furniture, and more. It's a descriptive term that adds precision and a touch of elegance compared to just saying rouge.

💡 * Elle porte une robe rouge cerise pour la soirée.

J'ai repeint mon vélo en rouge cerise.

Ses lèvres rouge cerise contrastaient avec sa peau pâle.

Il a acheté des chaussures de sport rouge cerise.

The 'reddish' or 'russet' (for hair) – roux/rousse

To describe someone with red or auburn hair in French, you use the adjective roux (masculine) or rousse (feminine). This is the specific term for this hair color, distinct from the general word for red, rouge.

It's crucial to match the adjective with the gender of the person. For a male, you say, il est roux. For a female, you must use the feminine form: elle est rousse.

The term roux can also be used to describe the reddish fur of animals. For example, a red squirrel is un écureuil roux and a red fox is un renard roux.

💡 * A l'école, j'avais un copain qui était roux. (At school, I had a friend who was red-haired.)

La nouvelle actrice est rousse et elle a les yeux verts. (The new actress is red-haired and has green eyes.)

Regarde ce magnifique chat roux qui dort au soleil ! (Look at that magnificent red cat sleeping in the sun!)

Ses cheveux sont devenus plus roux avec le temps. (His hair has become more reddish over time.)

The 'vermilion' or 'ruddy' – vermeil

The 'vermilion' or 'ruddy' – vermeil

As an adjective, vermeil (feminine: vermeille) describes a brilliant, deep red color, much like vermilion. It's considered a more poetic and literary alternative to the standard French word for red, rouge.

This term is often used to describe a rich, natural red with a sense of vibrancy and life. You might find it describing lips (lèvres vermeilles), a glowing complexion, or a radiant sunset, evoking a classic, almost painterly image.

Beyond color, le vermeil as a noun refers to silver-gilt (silver that has been gilded with gold). This usage connects the word to luxury, precious objects, and a rich, warm metallic sheen.

💡 * Ses joues étaient vermeilles après sa promenade dans le froid. (Her cheeks were ruddy after her walk in the cold.)

Le poète a décrit le soleil couchant d'un ton vermeil. (The poet described the setting sun in a vermilion hue.)

La reine buvait dans une coupe en vermeil. (The queen drank from a silver-gilt cup.)

The 'blood red' – rouge sang

The French term for 'blood red' is rouge sang. This is a direct, literal translation, combining the word for red, rouge, with the word for blood, sang. It is used to describe a deep, vivid, and often dramatic shade of red.

An important grammatical rule to remember is that when a color is composed of two words or is derived from a noun (like sang), it becomes invariable. This means rouge sang does not change to agree in gender or number with the noun it describes. It always stays the same.

Rouge sang is a highly descriptive and evocative term. You'll often find it in literature, fashion, and art to convey a sense of passion, drama, or intensity. It's much more specific and powerful than a simple rouge foncé (dark red).

💡 * Elle portait une magnifique robe rouge sang à la cérémonie. (She wore a magnificent blood-red dress to the ceremony.)

Ses lèvres, peintes en rouge sang, contrastaient avec son teint pâle. (Her lips, painted blood red, contrasted with her pale complexion.)

J'ai acheté des coussins rouge sang pour mon canapé gris. (I bought blood-red cushions for my grey sofa.)

Le peintre a utilisé une touche de rouge sang pour représenter le coucher du soleil. (The painter used a touch of blood red to depict the sunset.)

Are there other ways to say 'red' in French?

Our list features the most common ways to say 'red' in French, from the essential rouge to more specific shades. But the French language is full of colorful expressions, including poetic terms, technical jargon, and regional words you might not hear every day.

You can expand your palette by doing an online search for 'nuances de la couleur rouge' or by exploring vocabulary specific to fields like art, fashion, or wine-tasting, where terms like vermeil or rubis are common.

When you find a new synonym for rouge, always check its typical context. A word like cramoisi (crimson) carries a different intensity and is used more poetically than the standard rouge you'd use to describe a car.

Pay attention to colors as you read, watch, and listen to things in French. You'll discover how descriptions of a sunset, a dress, or a glass of wine can reveal a richer and more precise vocabulary.

For a deep dive into color terminology and its usage, the online dictionary Le Robert or the 'Couleur' (Color) entry on the French Wikipedia can be fascinating places to explore synonyms and cultural associations.

I hope this guide has helped brighten your French vocabulary. To finish, let’s recall a simple but powerful thought from the artist Henri Matisse: 'Avec le rouge, on peut tout oser' (With red, you can dare anything). May your French be just as bold!

'9 ways to say "red" in French'