cheveux courts
Short hair in French is cheveux courts.
The phrase refers to hair that is cut to a length that does not reach the shoulders.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of cheveux (hair) and courts (short).
How does it change in a sentence?
Because cheveux is a masculine plural noun, the adjective must also be in the masculine plural form, courts. Additionally, when describing a person's hair in many common constructions, you typically use the definite article les rather than a possessive adjective like 'my' or 'his'.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the singular le cheveu to refer to a head of hair. However, in French, cheveux is almost always used in the plural to refer to the hair on someone's head.
Did you know?
- In French, the word cheveu is used for a single strand of hair, whereas poil is used for body hair. If you describe a man's short facial hair using cheveux, it would sound like he has small head-hairs growing on his cheeks.
- The word courts comes from the Latin curtus, meaning 'curtailed' or 'cut short'. This shares the same root as the English word 'curt', describing a way of speaking that is abruptly short.
- A very short buzz cut is often referred to as une coupe militaire, which translates to 'a military cut'.
Examples in context
- Il a les cheveux courts.He has short hair.This sentence shows how to say someone has short hair using cheveux courts.Tatoeba #1947395 by sacredceltic, translation #1946905 by Spamster
- J'aime les cheveux courts.I like short hair.This sentence expresses a preference for short hair using cheveux courts.Tatoeba #127478 by Aiji, translation #259389 by CK
- Luke a les cheveux courts.Luke has short hair.This sentence identifies that Luke has short hair using cheveux courts.Tatoeba #6480576 by Micsmithel, translation #3121925 by CN
- J'ai adopté une coupe courte moderne pour le mariage.I opted for a modern short hairstyle for the wedding.
- Son élégante chevelure courte lui donne un air distingué.Her elegant short hair gives her a distinguished look.
- J'ai préféré me faire couper les cheveux courts pour l'été.I preferred to get a short haircut for the summer.
- Sa nouvelle coupe en brosse lui va vraiment bien.His new brush-like hairstyle suits him very well.
- J'ai décidé de me faire couper les cheveux courts avant la rentrée.I decided to get a short haircut before going back to school.
- Son nouveau style avec les cheveux courts est très tendance.Her new style with short hair is very trendy.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Lucas are at a hair salon.
- ManonTu veux garder tes cheveux courts ?Do you want to keep your hair short?
- LucasOui, je préfère avoir les cheveux courts.Yes, I prefer having short hair.
- ManonC'est vrai, ça te va très bien.It's true, it suits you very well.
- LucasMerci, c'est plus facile à coiffer.Thanks, it's easier to style.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
