gris
/ɡʁi/
The French word gris means.
gris is used to describe the color gray, which is a mixture of black and white.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. Use gris for masculine singular and masculine plural nouns. For feminine singular nouns, use grise and for feminine plural nouns, use grises.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɡʁi/
Did you know?
- In French, the expression être gris can be a colloquial way to say someone is drunk, reflecting the 'cloudy' or 'foggy' state of mind.
- In French, a 'gray area' is not called a 'zone grise' but is often described as une zone d'ombre, which literally means 'a zone of shadow'.
- Because it originates from Germanic roots rather than Latin, gris is an outlier among many French color adjectives that derive from classical Mediterranean languages.
Examples in context
- La robe qu'elle portait était d'un gris élégant.The dress she was wearing was an elegant shade of gray.
- L'appartement avait un canapé gris souris très confortable.The apartment had a very comfortable mouse-gray sofa.
- Le ciel est très gris aujourd'hui.The sky is very grey today.
- J'ai acheté un pull gris.I bought a grey sweater.
- Cette voiture est d'un gris foncé.This car is a dark grey.
Example conversation
Chloé and Nathan are looking at clothes in a shop.
- ChloéTu aimes ce manteau gris ?Do you like this grey coat?
- NathanOui, il te va très bien.Yes, it looks very good on you.
- ChloéC'est vrai ? Il est un peu triste.Really? It is a little sad.
- NathanPas du tout, il est élégant.Not at all, it is elegant.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry gris, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries gris, CC BY-SA 4.0.
