Bienvenue! If you’re looking to expand your French vocabulary and learn how to say “eyelashes” in various contexts, you’ve come to the right place. In this guide, we’ll cover both formal and informal ways to express this term, along with some tips and examples to help you on your language learning journey.
Table of Contents
Formal Ways to Say Eyelashes
In formal settings, it’s important to use appropriate and polite language. Here are a few terms you can use to refer to “eyelashes” when speaking formally:
- Les cils: This is the most common and formal term for “eyelashes” in French. It’s used in all French-speaking countries and understood by everyone.
Elle a de longs cils recourbés. (She has long curled eyelashes.)
Les poils des paupières: A more technical and precise term, this translates to “eyelid hairs.” It’s less commonly used in everyday conversations but can be used in formal or medical contexts.
Les poils des paupières protègent les yeux de la poussière. (Eyelid hairs protect the eyes from dust.)
Informal Ways to Say Eyelashes
When speaking with friends, family, or in casual situations, you can use these more informal terms to refer to “eyelashes” in French:
- Les cils: Yes, you read it right! While “les cils” is also the formal term, it’s widely used in informal settings as well.
Ses cils sont magnifiques, ils sont très fournis. (Her eyelashes are beautiful, they are very dense.)
Les pattes d’araignée: Literally meaning “spider’s legs,” this colloquial expression is used to describe long and thick eyelashes.
Regarde ses pattes d’araignée, elles sont superbes ! (Look at her spider’s legs, they are gorgeous!)
Les papillons: Although primarily used in Quebec, Canada, this term translates to “butterflies” and refers to eyelashes that fan out gracefully.
Ses papillons sont tellement élégants, je suis jalouse ! (Her butterflies are so graceful, I’m jealous!)
Tips and Examples
Here are a few additional tips and examples to help you in using these terms correctly:
1. Pay attention to gender: In French, all nouns have a gender. In the case of “les cils,” it is masculine, while “les poils des paupières” and other expressions using “pattes d’araignée” or “papillons” are plural and also gender-neutral.
2. Adjectives and possessives: When describing or referring to eyelashes, make sure to accord any adjectives or possessives accordingly. For example:
J’aime ses cils noirs et élégants. (I love her black and elegant eyelashes.)
Tu as de longues pattes d’araignée magnifiques. (You have long and beautiful spider’s legs.)
3. Cultural variations: The expressions “pattes d’araignée” and “papillons” might not be universally understood outside Quebec, so use them predominantly in Canadian French conversations.
Examples in Sentences
Let’s illustrate the usage of these terms with some example sentences:
Mes cils sont naturellement courts. (My eyelashes are naturally short.)
J’adore quand elle met du mascara pour allonger ses cils. (I love it when she applies mascara to lengthen her eyelashes.)
Tu as de beaux papillons, ça te donne un regard charmant. (You have beautiful butterflies, it gives you a charming look.)
Elle achète toujours des faux cils pour les soirées spéciales. (She always buys false eyelashes for special occasions.)
Remember, practice makes perfect! The more you use these terms in conversations, the more natural they will become. So, go ahead and impress your friends with your newfound knowledge of how to say “eyelashes” in French!
