brun
/bʁœ̃/
The English phrase "dark haired" is translated into French as brun.
This term is used to describe someone having hair that is brown or black in color. While brun can mean 'brown' in a general sense, when used to describe a person, it specifically refers to their hair color. In French, you can use the adjective as a noun (un brun, une brune) to refer to a dark-haired person.
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine form of the adjective is brune. The masculine plural form of the adjective is bruns. The feminine plural form of the adjective is brunes.
How do you pronounce it?
/bʁœ̃/
Did you know?
- The word brun does not come from Latin, the primary ancestor of French, but was instead borrowed from Frankish, a Germanic language.
- In French, describing hair as marron is generally avoided, as that word is primarily reserved for objects like chestnuts or eyes.
- French has a specific term brunette which, unlike the English 'brunette', is used as a noun to describe a dark-haired girl or woman.
Examples in context
- La jeune femme aux cheveux bruns est assise à la table voisine.The young woman with dark hair is sitting at the next table.
- Le candidat aux cheveux foncés a impressionné les recruteurs.The dark-haired candidate impressed the recruiters.
- Tu as vu la nouvelle fille aux cheveux noirs ?Have you seen the new girl with dark hair?
- Mon ami a des cheveux sombres et bouclés.My friend has dark and curly hair.
- Il est brun et grand.He is dark haired and tall.
- Mon frère est très brun.My brother is very dark haired.
- Le garçon brun joue au parc.The dark haired boy is playing in the park.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a person they saw at a cafe.
- LéaTu as vu l'homme là-bas ?Did you see the man over there?
- NathanLequel ? L'homme brun ?Which one? The dark haired man?
- LéaOui, celui qui porte un chapeau.Yes, the one wearing a hat.
- NathanAh oui, je le vois.Ah yes, I see him.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry brun, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries brun, CC BY-SA 4.0.
