lilas
/li.la/
The French word for the color lilac is lilas.
lilas is used as a noun to refer to the color lilac.
Meaning: color (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables: /li.la/.
Did you know?
- When using lilas as a color adjective to describe an object, it remains invariable and does not change for gender or number.
- The linguistic journey of lilas moves from Sanskrit to Persian, then through Arabic, before finally reaching French.
- The color lilas is often grouped with mauve in French, but while lilas refers to the pale flower shade, mauve refers to a more greyish or saturated purple.
Examples in context
- Le parfum suave du lilas embaume le jardin.The sweet scent of lilac perfumes the garden.
- Le tableau était peint dans une magnifique couleur lilas.The painting was done in a beautiful lilac color.
- Aujourd'hui, je porte une chemise d'une teinte lilas.Today, I am wearing a shirt in a lilac shade.
- Le mur est peint en lilas.The wall is painted lilac.
- Elle porte une robe lilas.She is wearing a lilac dress.
- J'aime beaucoup ce ton de lilas.I really like this shade of lilac.
Example conversation
Lucas and Manon are painting a room.
- LucasOn choisit quelle couleur pour le mur ?Which color are we choosing for the wall?
- ManonJe préfère le lilas, Lucas.I prefer lilac, Lucas.
- LucasLe lilas serait joli ici.Lilac would be pretty here.
- ManonOui, c'est parfait !Yes, it is perfect!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “lilac” translations and entries lilas, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries lilas, CC BY-SA 4.0.
