frange
/fʁɑ̃ʒ/
The French word for 'bangs' is frange.
The term refers to hair that hangs down over the forehead.
Meaning: hair that hangs down over the forehead (noun)
Which one should you use?
To specify the style of the hair, you can add an adjective after the noun, such as frange droite for straight bangs.
How does it change in a sentence?
While English speakers treat 'bangs' as a plural noun, in French, frange is a feminine singular noun (une frange).
How do you pronounce it?
/fʁɑ̃ʒ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly pluralize the word to les franges. However, in French, the hairstyle is typically referred to in the singular: la frange.
Did you know?
- The word frange is used in geography to describe the 'urban fringe', referring to the outskirts of a city where urban and rural areas meet.
- The word frange shares a common ancestor with the English word 'fringe', which is used to describe the decorated border of a cloth or a piece of a tapestry.
- In French, you do not 'get' bangs, but rather you 'make' them using the verb faire, as in faire une frange.
Examples in context
- Je dois couper ma frange.I need to get my bangs trimmed.This sentence is useful for talking about needing to trim your frange.Tatoeba #7701742 by Maxence, translation #5100499 by CM
- J'aimais bien tes cheveux avant de te mettre une frange droite.I liked your hair before you got straight bangs.This sentence is useful for discussing the appearance of hair before a person got a frange droite.Tatoeba #7701748 by Maxence, translation #1354439 by Miktsoanit
- J’aimerais tant pouvoir dire à la dame qui me coupe les cheveux que je n’aime pas la frange.I'd love to be able to tell the lady who cuts my hair that I don’t like bangs.This sentence is useful for expressing a dislike for having a frange.Tatoeba #2445204 by gillux, translation #2444435 by fenfang557
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Hugo are looking at a fashion magazine.
- ManonElle a une très jolie frange sur cette photo.She has very nice bangs in this photo.
- HugoC'est vrai, mais ça demande beaucoup d'entretien.It's true, but it requires a lot of maintenance.
- ManonTu penses que ça irait bien sur moi ?Do you think it would look good on me?
- HugoOui, avec ton visage, ce serait superbe.Yes, with your face, it would be superb.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry frange, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries frange, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
