Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| sombre | /sɔ̃bʁ/ (France) /sõːbʀ/ (Canada) |
| obscur | /ɔp.skyʁ/ |
In French, the primary way to describe an environment or an object that lacks light is by using the adjective sombre. For the concept of darkness itself, you can use the nouns noir or obscurité. If you are specifically referring to the time of nightfall, the phrase tombée de la nuit is used.
Which one should you use?
Use sombre to describe a room or an environment that lacks light. In contrast, obscur often implies that something is dim, hard to see or metaphorically unclear. While noir can sometimes be used in certain contexts to mean dark, it literally refers to the color black. You should use sombre when describing the absence of light rather than the color of an object.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective sombre is invariable in gender, meaning it remains the same whether it describes a masculine or feminine noun. When describing the ambient light level of a place or the weather, such as saying "it is dark out", use the construction il fait followed by the adjective instead of il est.
How do you pronounce it?
/sɔ̃bʁ/
Did you know?
- The word obscur regained the letter 'b' during the Middle French period because scholars wanted the word to look more like its original Latin ancestor.
- In French, obscur is frequently used to describe a person's social status or a piece of writing that is difficult to understand, rather than just physical light.
- English speakers can find a cousin to the word sombre in the English word 'somber', which shares the same linguistic lineage.
Examples in context
- La nuit est sombre.The night is dark.This sentence illustrates describing the night as dark using sombre.Tatoeba #1956602 by sacredceltic, translation #1956380 by Spamster
- Il fait déjà sombre.It is already dark.This sentence shows how to say it is already dark using sombre.Tatoeba #570774 by sacredceltic, translation #31530 by CK
- Il fait très sombre.It's very dark.This sentence demonstrates how to express that it is very dark using sombre.Tatoeba #1476623 by sacredceltic, translation #1476581 by Spamster
- La chambre est sombreThe room is dark
- La nuit est noireThe night is dark
- L'obscurité envahit la pièceDarkness fills the room
- Le château est ténébreux la nuitThe castle is dark at night
- Il fait nuit noire dehorsIt's pitch-black outside
- Je préfère dormir dans une chambre sombreI prefer to sleep in a dark room
- Nous avons regardé un film d'horreur dans le noir completWe watched a horror movie in pitch-black darkness
- Il est tard et la ville est plongée dans l'obscuritéIt's late, and the city is shrouded in darkness
- Posons les bougies pour créer une ambiance ténébreuseLet's place the candles to create a dark atmosphere
- J'ai peur de marcher dans la pénombreI'm afraid of walking in the dim light
- La nuit noire est idéale pour observer les étoilesThe pitch-black night is perfect for stargazing
- 200 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Nathan are walking through a park at night.
- LéaCe chemin est vraiment sombre.This path is really dark.
- NathanOui, on ne voit rien.Yes, we can't see anything.
- LéaAllume la lampe de ton téléphone, Nathan.Turn on your phone light, Nathan.
- NathanD'accord, voilà.Okay, here it is.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dark” translations and entries sombre, obscur, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries obscur, sombre, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
