Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| bronzage | /bʁɔ̃.zaʒ/ | masculine |
| hâle | /al/ /ɑl/ |
masculine |
In French, you use bronzage to refer to a tan. To describe the process of getting a tan, you can use the verb bronzer. If you wish to describe someone who is tanned, you can use the adjective bronzé (masculine) or bronzée (feminine). To specifically refer to a fake tan or sunless tanning products, use the phrase bronzage artificiel. Additionally, the expression Avoir la peau dorée means 'to have golden skin' and is used to describe a beautiful tan, while Avoir pris des couleurs means 'to have gained color' and indicates a general change in skin tone.
Which one should you use?
While both bronzage and hâle mean tan, bronzage is the standard, everyday term used for a sun tan. In contrast, hâle is more literary or refers to a more weathered, sun-baked look.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective for a person who is tanned is bronzé in the masculine form or bronzée in the feminine form.
How do you pronounce it?
bronzage is pronounced /bʁɔ̃.zaʒ/. It has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- The word bronzé comes from bronze, the alloy of copper and tin. This means French speakers literally describe a tan as looking like a metal statue.
- While bronzage is the standard word for a tan, the literary term hâle is historically associated with the sun-beaten skin of peasants and sailors rather than luxury vacations.
- In some contexts, bronzage can be used ironically to describe someone who has spent too much time in the sun and has become lobster-red.
Examples in context
- Il a un beau bronzage.He has a beautiful tan.This sentence is useful for describing a beautiful tan using bronzage.Tatoeba #1809049 by sacredceltic, translation #1808162 by Spamster
- Il a un faux bronzage.He has a fake tan.This sentence is useful for describing a fake tan using bronzage.Tatoeba #3228592 by sacredceltic, translation #3223293 by Hybrid
- Je vais essayer d'obtenir un bon bronzage.I am going to try to get a good tan.This sentence is useful for expressing the intent to get a good tan using bronzage.Tatoeba #6877160 by Micsmithel, translation #60196 by CC
- Elle a un joli bronzage.She has a nice tan.
- Il a l'air bien hâlé après ses vacances à la plage.He looks nicely tanned after his beach vacation.
- Elle est rentrée de ses vacances avec un magnifique bronzage.She came back from her vacation with a gorgeous tan.
- Il est revenu de ses vacances tout hâlé.He came back from his vacation all tanned.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Chloé are talking about their vacation photos.
- GabrielRegarde mon bronzage sur cette photo !Look at my tan in this photo!
- ChloéC'est vrai, tu as un superbe bronzage, Gabriel.It's true, you have a superb tan, Gabriel.
- GabrielMerci, Chloé. Le soleil était très fort.Thanks, Chloé. The sun was very strong.
- ChloéMoi, j'ai perdu mon bronzage rapidement.As for me, I lost my tan quickly.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tan” translations and entries bronzage, hâle, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
