noir
/nwaʁ/
noir is the French word for black.
noir is primarily used as an adjective to describe the color black, which is the absorption of all light. It can also function as a noun to refer to the color black itself.
Meaning: absorbing all light (adj)
Which one should you use?
When used as an adjective to describe a color, noir agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies. In contrast, when you wish to refer to the color black as a noun, you use the form le noir.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective changes its form depending on the gender and number of the noun it describes: use noire for a feminine singular noun, noirs for masculine plural nouns and noires for feminine plural nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/nwaʁ/
Did you know?
- French uses noir in the phrase travailler au noir, which literally means 'to work in the black' but actually means working 'off the books' without paying taxes.
- The word noir is a linguistic doublet of the word nègre, meaning they both evolved from the same Latin root.
- The English term 'film noir' is borrowed directly from French, where noir describes the cynical and moody atmosphere of crime dramas.
Examples in context
- Ce chat est noir.This is a black cat.This sentence is useful for seeing how to describe a black cat using noir.Tatoeba #7898985 by felix63, translation #13715778 by zogwarg
- Le café est noir.The coffee is black.This sentence is useful for describing black coffee with noir.Tatoeba #10658951 by Rovo, translation #10658905 by shekitten
- Le noir est à moi.The black one is mine.This sentence is useful for using noir to refer to the black one.Tatoeba #823525 by sacredceltic, translation #823527 by sacredceltic
- La robe est noireThe dress is black
- Le café est noirThe coffee is black
- La nuit est sombreThe night is black/dark
- Il a les cheveux noirs comme du charbonHe has black hair like coal
- 484 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Manon are looking at a new piece of furniture.
- HugoCe canapé est vraiment noir.This sofa is really black.
- ManonOui, il est très noir.Yes, it is very black.
- HugoIl va être élégant dans le salon.It will be elegant in the living room.
- ManonJe suis d'accord avec toi, Hugo.I agree with you, Hugo.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “black” translations and entries noir, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries noir, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
