brut
/bʁyt/
In English, brut refers to a term used in French to describe champagne or sparkling wine that is very dry and has little sugar.
What does it mean word for word?
The word brut literally means raw, unrefined or unprocessed.
Which one should you use?
When choosing between styles of sparkling wine, brut is much drier than demi-sec, which is a sweeter term meaning semi-dry.
How do you pronounce it?
/bʁyt/
Did you know?
- While brut describes the dryness of wine, it is also used in French to describe a salary before taxes, known as salaire brut.
- In a non-wine context, calling a person brut de décoffrage means they are blunt or lack social graces, literally meaning 'raw from the casting mold'.
- The term brut traces back to the Latin word 'brutus', which meant 'heavy' or 'dull' rather than describing sweetness or dryness.
Examples in context
- J'aime les champagnes bruts ou les cuvées spéciales.I enjoy brut champagnes or special blends.
- Les données brutes nécessitent un traitement avant d'être analysées.Raw data requires processing before being analyzed.
- Je préfère le champagne brut.I prefer dry champagne.
- Est-ce que ce vin est brut ?Is this sparkling wine dry?
- Nous allons commander un brut.We are going to order a dry one.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Léa are choosing a drink at a restaurant.
- GabrielLéa, quel champagne veux-tu commander ?Léa, which champagne do you want to order?
- LéaJe préfère un champagne brut, s'il vous plaît.I prefer a brut champagne, please.
- GabrielD'accord, je vais prendre la même chose.Okay, I will have the same thing.
- LéaC'est le meilleur choix pour ce dîner.It's the best choice for this dinner.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry brut, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries brut, CC BY-SA 4.0.
