chauve
/ʃov/
The English phrase "no hair" can be translated to French as chauve.
The term is used to describe a person who has no hair on their head.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective chauve must agree in gender and number with the person being described: chauve (masculine singular), chauve (feminine singular), chauves (feminine plural) and chauves (masculine plural).
How do you pronounce it?
/ʃov/
Did you know?
- The term chauve can be used to describe an animal, such as the chauve-souris, which is the French word for 'bat'.
- In French, you might hear the expression être chauve comme un œuf, which translates to 'being bald like an egg'.
- While chauve describes the state of being bald, the term tonsuré refers specifically to the circular bald patch on a monk's head.
Examples in context
- Il est chauve.He is bald.
- Elle est chauve.She is bald.
- Il est complètement chauve.He is completely bald.
- Mon oncle est devenu chauve.My uncle became bald.
- Le nouveau voisin est chauve.The new neighbor is bald.
Example conversation
Hugo and Chloé are talking about a person they saw at the park.
- HugoTu as vu l'homme dans le parc ?Did you see the man in the park?
- ChloéLequel ? Celui qui est chauve ?Which one? The bald one?
- HugoOui, l'homme chauve avec un chapeau.Yes, the bald man with a hat.
- ChloéAh oui, je l'ai remarqué.Oh yes, I noticed him.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry chauve, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
