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Lesson 52 of 240

New here? This is lesson 52 of a free 240-lesson French course.

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Colours and sizes in French

Sam hangs his mustard backpack on a café chair. Odile looks at it and names the size. Gaspard looks down at his camel coat.

By the end, you'll name a colour, say if something is too big or small, ask for other colours, and say it is the right size.

Keep these lines for bags, coats, and everyday things you can see.

By the end of this lesson

Describe something by colour and size.

  • C'est rouge.It's red.
  • C'est bleu.It's blue.
  • C'est trop grand.It's too big.
  • C'est petit.It's small.
  • Vous avez d'autres couleurs ?Do you have other colours?
  • C'est la bonne taille.It's the right size.

Scene — the mustard backpack

Same morning on rue des Tilleuls. Sam hangs his mustard backpack on a café chair. Odile watches from the zinc counter.

The window table still has its blank brass sign. Gaspard sits on two chairs next to it and looks down at his camel coat.

Sam hangs a mustard backpack on a café chair while Odile watches from the zinc counter and Gaspard sits on two chairs by the window.

Learn — red, blue, big and small

Six short lines name a colour, say too big or small, ask for other colours, and say the size is right.

Learn each one as a piece you can point with.

  1. Odile looks up from the zinc counter in the morning light.

    C'est rouge.

    It's red.

    When to use it: Say this when the thing you see is red.

    Learn it as one piece when you name a colour.

  2. From above, a mustard backpack hangs bulky on a café chair as Odile points at it from the zinc and Sam stands beside the chair.

    C'est bleu.

    It's blue.

    When to use it: Say this when the thing you see is blue.

    Learn it as one piece for a blue thing.

  3. Over Sam's shoulder, Odile points to a small bag on the zinc counter.

    C'est trop grand.

    It's too big.

    When to use it: Say this when something is bigger than you need.

    Learn it as one piece when something is too big.

    Say it: The an in grand is a nasal sound.

  4. A small blue bag rests on the zinc counter with Odile's hand pointing at it.

    C'est petit.

    It's small.

    When to use it: Say this when something looks small.

    Learn it as one piece when something is small.

    Say it: The last t in petit is silent.

  5. In profile at the zinc counter, Sam gestures toward bags of different colours while Odile holds up a red bag.

    Vous avez d'autres couleurs ?

    Do you have other colours?

    When to use it: Ask staff if they have this in another colour.

    Learn it as one piece to ask staff for more colours.

    Say it: The s in Vous links as z.

  6. From below, Gaspard sits on two chairs by the window and smooths the coat so it sits well.

    C'est la bonne taille.

    It's the right size.

    When to use it: Say this when the size fits.

    Learn it as one piece when the size is right.

Story — the coat fits

Watch Odile size up the backpack, then a small bag she can offer in another colour.

The highlighted words are the lines you just learned. Turn on Show English if you need it.

  1. Odile looks up from the zinc counter.
  2. OdileBonjour.Hello.
  3. SamBonjour.Hello.
  4. She eyes the mustard backpack on the chair.
  5. OdileC'est trop grand.It's too big.
  6. SamC'est trop grand. C'est mon sac.It's too big. It's my bag.
  7. She points to a small bag on the counter.
  8. OdileC'est petit.It's small.
  9. GaspardC'est bleu.It's blue.
  10. SamVous avez d'autres couleurs ?Do you have other colours?
  11. She holds up another bag from under the counter.
  12. OdileOui. C'est rouge.Yes. It's red.
  13. Gaspard looks down at his camel coat.
  14. GaspardC'est la bonne taille.It's the right size.

Practice — too big or too small

Ten quick exercises wait here. You'll listen, pick, match, fill a gap, and build a line.

They stay tiny, so the round moves fast.

0 of 10 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. What does it mean?

    C'est rouge.

  3. What do you say?

    Your backpack is much bigger than the chair and too big for it.

  4. Match the pairs

    French

    C'est rouge.Drop the English here
    C'est bleu.Drop the English here
    C'est petit.Drop the English here

    English

    Drag an English line onto its French, or tap one and then the other.

  5. Fill the gap

    It's small.

    C'est ____.

  6. Swap the word

    The small bag on the counter is blue.

    C'est ____.

  7. Build the line

    Do you have other colours?

     ?

    Tap the words in order.

  8. Pick the reply

    Odile says:

    C'est à qui ?

    Whose is this?

    And you reply with:

  9. Fill the gap

    It's the right size.

    C'est la ____ taille.

  10. What do you say?

    Odile shows a small blue bag on the counter. Ask if she has it in other colours.

Say it — name the colour

Now you're Sam at the café with your backpack. When it's your turn, tap the microphone and speak the line.

Tap ▶ first if you want to hear the line. Your recording stays on your device.

  1. OdileBonjour.Hello.
  2. Sam (you)Say hello back. It is still morning.

    Bonjour.

    Hello

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

FrenchEnglish
C'est rouge.It's red.
C'est bleu.It's blue.
C'est trop grand.It's too big.
C'est petit.It's small.
Vous avez d'autres couleurs ?Do you have other colours?
C'est la bonne taille.It's the right size.
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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

Want to keep these colours and sizes handy? Grab the Yak Cards for this lesson and review them anywhere.

A quick round with the Yak Cards each day keeps red, blue, big and small ready.

Open Yak Cards