marron
/ma.ʁɔ̃/
marron is the French word for brown.
The word marron is used to describe the color brown, particularly in the context of chestnut-brown or earthy tones.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, marron refers to a chestnut.
Which one should you use?
While marron describes a color, the word brun is typically used to describe hair color or a person's complexion.
How does it change in a sentence?
When used as a color adjective, marron is invariable and does not take an 's' in the plural.
How do you pronounce it?
/ma.ʁɔ̃/
Did you know?
- In a completely different context, marron can refer to a person who escaped slavery in the West Indies. This sense comes from the Spanish word cimarrón, meaning 'wild' or 'unsettled'.
- The word marron is a 'hidden' noun in its adjective form. In French grammar, many color adjectives derived from fruits or flowers behave like nouns and refuse to change gender or number.
Examples in context
- Oh, j'aime bien ta nouvelle veste marron!Oh, I really like your new brown jacket!
- Elle porte une robe marron.She is wearing a brown dress.
- J'aime beaucoup ce sac marron.I really like this brown bag.
- Les yeux de l'enfant sont marron.The child's eyes are brown.
Example conversation
Chloé and Nathan are shopping for new accessories.
- ChloéTu préfères ce portefeuille marron ?Do you prefer this brown wallet?
- NathanNon, je cherche un modèle noir.No, I am looking for a black one.
- ChloéMais le marron va très bien avec tes chaussures.But the brown one goes very well with your shoes.
- NathanC'est vrai, il est très élégant.That's true, it is very elegant.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry marron, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries marron, CC BY-SA 4.0.
