chauve
/ʃov/
The English word "bald" translates to French as chauve.
The term chauve is used to describe someone or something having little or no hair. It is the most widely used term for 'bald' in French, regardless of the level of formality.
Meaning: having little or no hair (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
The form chauve is the masculine adjective form used for masculine subjects.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʃov/
Did you know?
- The term chauve-souris, which literally translates to 'bald mouse', is the standard French word for a 'bat'.
- The phrase avoir la tête chauve is common, but French speakers also use the expression être chauve comme un œuf to mean 'bald as an egg'.
- In French, you can use chauve to describe a lack of leaves on a tree, not just a lack of hair on a person.
Examples in context
- Je suis chauve ?Am I bald?This sentence is useful for asking if one is chauve.Tatoeba #8701746 by Micsmithel, translation #6128508 by mailohilohi
- Je serai bientôt chauve.I will be bald soon.This sentence is useful for describing a future state of being chauve.Tatoeba #9741211 by lbdx, translation #2819795 by memries
- Je sais que Tom est chauve.I know that Tom is bald.This sentence is useful for stating a fact about someone being chauve.Tatoeba #10015470 by Rovo, translation #6232453 by CK
- 28 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Chloé are talking about a new coworker.
- GabrielEst-ce que le nouveau collègue est chauve ?Is the new colleague bald?
- ChloéOui, il est complètement chauve.Yes, he is completely bald.
- GabrielIl a l'air très jeune quand même.He looks very young anyway.
- ChloéC'est vrai, Gabriel.That is true, Gabriel.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bald” translations and entries chauve, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
