French word

colorer

Pronunciation

IPA/koloʁe/

Meaning

  • verbcolor

Example

Je vais colorer ce dessin.

I am going to color this drawing.

Illustration for colorer (color)

More examples

Elle va colorer ses cheveux demain.

She will dye her hair tomorrow.

Core concept

A brush lays pigment onto a surface, while the same added layer gives words a distinctive tone.

Common phrases

  • colorer un dessin

    color a picture

  • colorer les cheveux

    dye one's hair

  • colorer en rouge

    color ___ red

Similar words

colorier: To apply color to paper or a drawing with crayons or colored pencils.
peindre: To apply paint to walls or furniture with a brush or roller.
teindre: To dye fabric, hair, or another material.
nuancer: To give color or expression subtle variations.

Definition in French

Rendre quelque chose coloré en appliquant une peinture, un pigment ou une teinte, ou en transférant cette idée au langage.

Word origin

French colorer continues Latin colorare, formed from color 'colour' with the verb ending -are and later extended from physical colour to figurative tone.

Usage tips

  • Colorer gives something a colour, whereas colorier usually means filling in or colouring a drawing or picture.

Opposites

  • décolorerbleachverb

Related words

  • colorationcolorationnoun
  • colorécoloredadjective
  • colorantdyenoun

Word lists with this word