Common Hair Colors in French
Basic Vocabulary for Hair Colors
French offers a range of words to describe hair color. Here are the most common:
- blond (masculine) / blonde (feminine) – blonde
- brun (masculine) / brune (feminine) – brown (hair)
- châtain – chestnut brown (light or medium brown)
- noir (masculine) / noire (feminine) – black
- roux (masculine) / rousse (feminine) – red (hair)
- gris (masculine) / grise (feminine) – grey
- blanc (masculine) / blanche (feminine) – white
Examples in Sentences
- Elle a les cheveux blonds. – She has blonde hair.
- Il a les cheveux bruns. – He has brown hair.
- Je suis rousse. – I am a redhead. (female speaker)
Describing Hair Styles in French
Length and Texture
Beyond color, describing the length and texture adds detail:
- longs – long
- courts – short
- mi-longs – medium length
- raides – straight
- ondulés – wavy
- bouclés – curly
- crépus – frizzy/kinky
Examples:
- Elle a les cheveux longs et raides. – She has long, straight hair.
- Il a les cheveux courts et bouclés. – He has short, curly hair.
Popular Hairstyles and Terms
- une frange – bangs/fringe
- une queue de cheval – ponytail
- une tresse – braid
- un chignon – bun
- une coupe au carré – bob cut
- les dreadlocks – dreadlocks
Examples:
- J’ai une frange. – I have bangs.
- Elle porte une queue de cheval. – She wears a ponytail.
Describing Hair in Full Sentences
To sound natural, combine colors, length, and style. Use the phrase avoir les cheveux (to have hair):
- Elle a les cheveux châtains, mi-longs et ondulés. – She has chestnut, medium-length, wavy hair.
- Il a les cheveux courts, noirs et crépus. – He has short, black, kinky hair.
Grammar Tips: Agreement and Word Order
In French, adjectives for color and style agree in gender and number with cheveux (which is masculine plural):
- cheveux blonds (not cheveux blonde)
- cheveux bouclés (not cheveux bouclé)
The general order is: cheveux + color + length/texture + style.
Advanced Vocabulary: Highlighting and Dyes
- des mèches – highlights
- teints – dyed
- colorés – colored
- poivre et sel – salt and pepper (gray mixed with dark hair)
Example: Elle a les cheveux bruns avec des mèches blondes. – She has brown hair with blonde highlights.
Useful Phrases for the Hair Salon
- Je voudrais une coupe courte, s’il vous plaît. – I’d like a short haircut, please.
- Pouvez-vous me faire des mèches? – Can you give me highlights?
- Je veux garder ma frange. – I want to keep my bangs.
Practice Makes Perfect
The best way to master these descriptions is through practice. Try using Talkpal’s AI-powered French learning tools to create dialogues, describe people in photos, or even role-play conversations in a hair salon. The more you use these phrases, the more natural they’ll become in your everyday French.
Conclusion
Describing hair color and style in French is a practical and fun way to expand your vocabulary and confidence. With these words, phrases, and tips, you’ll be ready to describe anyone’s hair—or even book your next haircut—in French! For more helpful guides and language tips, explore the Talkpal AI language learning blog and take your French to the next level.
