Why do french colours have different endings?

It's not entirely accurate to say French colors have "different endings." The difference in how they are written and pronounced depends on whether the color is used as an adjective or a noun.

Here's a breakdown:

Adjective Form (Describing something):

* Masculine: Ends in "-e" (usually silent)

* Feminine: Ends in "-e" (usually silent)

Noun Form (Referring to the color itself):

* Masculine: Ends in "-eur"

* Feminine: Ends in "-eur"

Examples:

| Color | Adjective (Masculine) | Adjective (Feminine) | Noun |

|---|---|---|---|

| Blue | Bleu | Bleue | Le bleu |

| Red | Rouge | Rouge | Le rouge |

| Green | Vert | Verte | Le vert |

| Yellow | Jaune | Jaune | Le jaune |

Explanation:

* Adjectives: They agree in gender and number with the noun they modify.

* Nouns: They are generally masculine, regardless of the color.

Exceptions:

* The colors "blanc" (white), "gris" (grey), and "rose" (pink) are invariant. They do not change their endings based on gender or number.

* "Orange" is a bit special. While it is generally used as a noun, it can also be used as an adjective, in which case it can be masculine ("orange") or feminine ("orange").

In summary:

The difference in the endings of French color words is related to their grammatical function, whether they are adjectives or nouns. This is a common grammatical feature of French, where many words change their endings based on their function in a sentence.