mauve
/mov/masculine
The French word for mauve is mauve.
mauve is used as an adjective to describe a pale violet or lilac shade. It can also be used as a noun to refer to the color itself.
Meaning: colour (adj)
Which one should you use?
While mauve refers specifically to a pale violet or lilac shade, the word violet is used for a more saturated, standard purple color.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective mauve is invariable in gender, so it does not change its form to agree with feminine nouns. However, it does take an s in its plural form to agree with plural nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/mov/
Did you know?
- Despite its different appearance, the French word mauve is a linguistic cousin to the English word 'mew' or the French 'mouette', both of which refer to the sound or sight of a seagull.
- In French, the word mauve is a homonym, meaning it refers to both the pale purple color and a specific type of seagull.
Examples in context
- Je regardai autour de moi. Je me trouvais sur ce qui semblait être une petite pelouse dans le jardin, entourée de buissons de rhododendrons, et je remarquai que leurs bourgeons mauves et violets tombaient en pluie sous les coups des grêlons.I looked round me. I was on what seemed to be a little lawn in a garden, surrounded by rhododendron bushes, and I noticed that their mauve and purple blossoms were dropping in a shower under the beating of the hail-stones.This sentence illustrates the use of mauve to describe the color of flower buds.Tatoeba #3745312 by sacredceltic, translation #3719496 by Hybrid
- Cette robe est de couleur mauve.This dress is mauve in color.
- Le mur est peint en violet pâle, une teinte proche du mauve.The wall is painted in a pale purple, a shade close to mauve.
- Personnellement, je préfère le lilas au mauve.Personally, I prefer lilac over mauve.
- Les pétales de cette fleur sont d'un magnifique mauve.The petals of this flower are a beautiful mauve.
- Les lavandes dans le champ offrent des tons mauves et violets magnifiques.The lavender in the field provides beautiful shades of mauve and purple.
- Le ciel est d'un mauve très doux ce soir.The sky is a very soft mauve this evening.
- Il a acheté un pull mauve pour l'hiver.He bought a mauve sweater for the winter.
Example conversation
Hugo and Emma are looking at paint samples for a room.
- HugoTu préfères le bleu ou le mauve ?Do you prefer the blue or the mauve?
- EmmaJe trouve que le mauve est trop foncé.I think the mauve is too dark.
- HugoRegarde ce mauve clair, il est joli.Look at this light mauve, it is pretty.
- EmmaOui, celui-là est parfait, Hugo !Yes, that one is perfect, Hugo!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mauve” translations and entries mauve, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mauve, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
