“L'Arc-en-Ciel” — Rainbow Song in French for Kids
In “L'Arc-en-Ciel” (The Rainbow), kids sing key French words like arc-en-ciel, couleurs, ciel and briller, going back and forth between English and French, so the meaning is never a mystery. It's a beginner song from Unit 3: Colors, 2:58 long, made for ages 2–8.
- 🇫🇷 French
- Level: Beginner
- Unit 3 · Les Couleurs
- ⏱ 2:58
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“L'Arc-en-Ciel” lyrics with English translation
Every line as it's sung, with its meaning beside it. French is shown in teal.
| Sung | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Ready? Prêt ? | |
| Look up! Regarde ! | |
| Rainbow! — Arc-en-ciel ! | |
| Sky! — Le ciel ! | |
| Colors! — Les couleurs ! | |
| Shine! — Briller ! | |
| In the sky? — Dans le ciel ! | |
| A rainbow! — Un arc-en-ciel ! | |
| Colors, colors! — Les couleurs ! | |
| Shine, shine! — Ça brille ! | |
| Arc-en-ciel, arc-en-ciel, | Rainbow, rainbow, |
| Rainbow in the sky! | Un arc-en-ciel dans le ciel ! |
| Rouge, orange, jaune et vert, | Red, orange, yellow and green, |
| Colors way up high! | Des couleurs tout là-haut ! |
| Bleu, indigo, violet, | Blue, indigo, violet, |
| Count them as they fly! | Compte-les pendant qu'elles volent ! |
| Arc-en-ciel, arc-en-ciel, | Rainbow, rainbow, |
| Au revoir, rainbow sky! | |
| Red! — Rouge ! | |
| Orange! — Orange ! | |
| Yellow! — Jaune ! | |
| Green! — Vert ! | |
| Blue! — Bleu ! | |
| Purple! — Violet ! | |
| The colors shine! — Les couleurs brillent ! | |
| So beautiful! — C’est si beau ! | |
| Arc-en-ciel, arc-en-ciel, | Rainbow, rainbow, |
| Rainbow in the sky! | Un arc-en-ciel dans le ciel ! |
| Rouge, orange, jaune et vert, | Red, orange, yellow and green, |
| Colors way up high! | Des couleurs tout là-haut ! |
| Bleu, indigo, violet, | Blue, indigo, violet, |
| Count them as they fly! | Compte-les pendant qu'elles volent ! |
| Arc-en-ciel, arc-en-ciel, | Rainbow, rainbow, |
| Au revoir, rainbow sky! | |
| Look! — Regarde ! | |
| It shines! — Ça brille ! | |
| In the sky! — Dans le ciel ! | |
| Say it again! — Encore ! | |
| Rainbow! — Arc-en-ciel ! | |
| Colors! — Couleurs ! | |
| Shine! — Briller ! | |
| Hooray! — Bravo ! | |
| Arc-en-ciel, arc-en-ciel, | Rainbow, rainbow, |
| Rainbow in the sky! | Un arc-en-ciel dans le ciel ! |
| Rouge, orange, jaune et vert, | Red, orange, yellow and green, |
| Colors way up high! | Des couleurs tout là-haut ! |
| Bleu, indigo, violet, | Blue, indigo, violet, |
| Now you know them all! | Maintenant tu les connais toutes ! |
| Arc-en-ciel, arc-en-ciel, | Rainbow, rainbow, |
| Bravo, one and all! | Bravo à tous ! |
| Rainbow! — Arc-en-ciel ! | |
| Good night! — Bonne nuit ! | |
Key French words in this song
The 4 words and phrases this song is built around.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| arc-en-ciel | rainbow |
| couleurs | colors |
| ciel | sky |
| briller | to shine |
How to use this song with your child
- 1
Make “ciel” the word of the day
This song repeats “ciel” (sky) on 13 lines. Use it once or twice during the day outside the song, and let your child correct you if you get it wrong.
- 2
Pause between the call and the answer
The song moves back and forth between English and French. On a second listen, pause after an English line and let your child try the French answer before the song sings it.
- 3
Make it a routine
At 2:58, play it once a day at the same moment for a week. Hand your child a crayon each time its French color word is sung.
More color songs in French
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