French is easy – they tell us

We have now been learning French for a year and still think it is difficult. But all the French people tell us that this is not true.

How can it not be difficult? Instead of Ninety-nine, they say four times twenty plus ten plus nine (quatre-vingt-dix-neuf)!

And today we were learning colors. Really easy.

If the thing you are describing is female, then just add an “e” to the color.
gris -> grise (grey)
bleu -> bleue (blue)

Unless it already has an “e” at the end. Then don’t add another one.
rouge -> rouge (red)

And unless it is white, then you add “he”. blanc -> blanche (white)

And unless it is the color of a fruit. Then you leave it as it is
orange -> orange
marron -> marron (I didn’t even know a chestnut was a fruit!)

And unless the color is light something or dark something
bleu clair -> bleu clair (light blue)
vert foncé -> vert foncé (dark green)

And if you are talking about plurals, then just add an “s”
bleu -> bleus (blue)

But not if it already ends with an “s”
gris -> gris (grey)

Unless of course it is female and so ends with an “e”. Then add the “s”
grise -> grises (grey)

EASY (or so they tell us).

2 thoughts on “French is easy – they tell us”

  1. Hello Heidi & Neill,
    We are the couple you met on Palm Island beach a few years ago. We have been following your blog avidly ever since we parted and it has certainly brightened our lockdown lives. Palm Island is a distant memory for us having not returned for 18 months but hopefully, in the near future, we will be able to return. Your exploits and ability to cope in tricky situations amaze us and ability to live and work together in such close quarters are beyond what we could manage! Jennie says French is ‘B’ hard, she managed to get her name right on the exam paper but not a lot else. However, she was much more successful with A level German, say no more. Our best wishes to you both and hope the World opens up for you very soon, stay healthy and fit.
    Love Jennie & Paul.

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