brune
feminine, hair and complexion
The feminine of brown in French is brune, used for a woman's hair or complexion. For objects and eyes French uses marron, which never changes.
Meaning: brown, feminine form (adjective)
Ways to say it
| French | Note |
|---|---|
| brune | feminine, hair and complexion |
| marron | invariable, objects and eyes |
A dark-haired woman is une femme brune. A brown jacket is une veste marron, with no feminine ending.
How does it change in a sentence?
Brun becomes brune in the feminine and brunes in the plural. Marron comes from the word for chestnut, so like other color words taken from nouns it stays the same.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not write marronne. Also, for eyes the usual word is marron or bruns, as in des yeux marron.
Did you know?
- Marron also means chestnut, and des marrons chauds are hot roasted chestnuts sold on French streets in winter.
Examples in context
- Elle est brune.She is brunette.
- Ma soeur a les cheveux bruns.My sister has brown hair.
- Elle porte une veste marron.She is wearing a brown jacket.
Example conversation
Léa describes her friend to Sophie at a party.
- LéaTu vois la fille brune là-bas ?Do you see the brunette over there?
- SophieCelle avec la robe marron ?The one with the brown dress?
- LéaOui, c'est ma cousine.Yes, she is my cousin.
