permanente
The English phrase "hair perm" is translated into French as permanente.
The term permanente refers to a chemical treatment used to create long-lasting curls or waves in the hair. To express the action of getting a perm, you should use the phrase faire une permanente.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun permanente is feminine. When referring to "a perm," it is typically used with the indefinite article une, forming the phrase une permanente.
Did you know?
- If you describe your hair as being permanent, a French speaker might think your hair is physically unchangeable or eternal. To describe the look, it is more natural to use adjectives like ondulé for wavy or bouclé for curly.
- In historical French beauty contexts, the term was often associated with the rigorous social standards of the 20th century. The 'permanente' was a symbol of highly maintained, structured femininity in mid-century French society.
- While faire une permanente is the standard term, you may see the older term permanente à froid for a cold perm and permanente à chaud for a hot perm, reflecting the historical chemical evolution of the process in French salons.
Examples in context
- Je vais chez le coiffeur pour faire une permanente demain.I'm going to the hairdresser's to get a perm tomorrow.
- Elle a fait une permanente.She got a perm.
- Je voudrais une permanente, s'il vous plaît.I would like a perm, please.
- Sa permanente est très naturelle.Her perm is very natural.
Example conversation
Emma and Lucas are talking about a new look.
- EmmaRegarde, j'ai fait une permanente !Look, I got a perm!
- LucasC'est très joli sur toi, Emma.It looks very pretty on you, Emma.
- EmmaMerci, j'aime beaucoup mes boucles.Thanks, I really like my curls.
- LucasÇa change complètement ton style.It completely changes your style.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry permanente, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
