Question 1

Why are rose and fluo singular when they describe the plural noun crampons?

Accepted Answer

This is because rose fluo is a compound color (a color made of more than one word). In French, whenever a color is expressed by two or more words (like bleu clair or rose fluo), the entire phrase is invariable. It never takes an "s", even if the noun is plural.

Question 2

I learned that rose is an exception and normally takes an "s" in the plural. Why doesn't it here?

Accepted Answer

You have a great memory! On its own, rose is one of the few noun-derived colors that does agree in number (e.g., des crampons roses). However, the compound color rule overrides that exception. Because rose is paired with fluo, the whole phrase gets locked into its invariable, singular form.

Question 3

Why does the verb achètent have a grave accent (è) when the infinitive acheter doesn't?

Accepted Answer

Acheter is a stem-changing verb. In the present tense, the -ent ending for the third-person plural is silent, which shifts the spoken stress to the syllable just before it. To make that open "eh" sound, French adds a grave accent (è). You do this for all present tense forms except nous and vous.

Question 4

Is fluo a slang word?

Accepted Answer

It is a very common, accepted abbreviation for fluorescent. While it started as a clipped word, fluo is now the standard everyday way to say "neon" when referring to colors in French. Like many abbreviations used as adjectives, it is always invariable.

Achètent-elles ces crampons rose fluo ?

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