Describing Hair in French: Colors, Styles, and More

French learners often find describing physical characteristics fascinating.

One aspect that frequently comes up is how to talk about hair.

Let's learn the French vocabulary and grammar for describing hair colors, styles, and more.

Hair Color Adjectives with Être

When describing someone's hair color (or lack of hair), certain adjectives are used with the verb être (to be) in French. These adjectives must agree with the subject's gender and number.

Here are some common hair color adjectives:

1. Blond(e) - Blonde
2. Brun(e) - Brown-haired
3. Roux/Rousse - Redheaded
4. Chauve - Bald

Examples:

• Elle est blonde. (She is blonde.)
• Il est brun. (He is brown-haired.)
• Elles sont rousses. (They are redheaded.)
• Ils sont chauves. (They are bald.)

Hair Descriptions with Avoir

Most ways to describe someone's hair color, length, texture, etc., use the verb avoir (to have) in French. These descriptions use the masculine plural form les cheveux (the hair).

Hair Colors

• Les cheveux blonds - Blonde hair
• Les cheveux bruns/marrons - Brown hair
• Les cheveux noirs - Black hair
• Les cheveux roux - Red hair
• Les cheveux gris - Gray hair
• Les cheveux blancs - White hair

Examples:

• J'ai les cheveux noirs. (I have black hair.)
• Elle a les cheveux roux. (She has red hair.)

Hair Length and Texture

• Les cheveux longs - Long hair
• Les cheveux courts - Short hair
• Les cheveux bouclés - Curly hair
• Les cheveux frisés - Frizzy hair
• Les cheveux raides - Straight hair

Examples:

• Tu as les cheveux bouclés. (You have curly hair.)
• Nous avons les cheveux courts. (We have short hair.)

Practice Sentences

1. Mon frère a les cheveux blonds et raides. (My brother has straight blonde hair.)
2. Ma tante est rousse et a les cheveux longs. (My aunt is a redhead and has long hair.)
3. Les enfants ont les cheveux bruns et bouclés. (The children have curly brown hair.)
4. J'avais les cheveux noirs, mais maintenant ils sont gris. (I used to have black hair, but now it's gray.)
5. Elle a les cheveux courts et frisés. (She has short, frizzy hair.)

Additional Vocabulary

• Les reflets - Highlights
• Les mèches - Streaks
• Une coupe de cheveux - A haircut
• Une coiffure - A hairstyle

Example: Nous avons les cheveux bruns avec des reflets châtains. (We have brown hair with chestnut highlights.)

Body Hair vs. Head Hair

It's important to note that the term cheveux refers specifically to the hair on one's head. For body hair, French uses a different word: poil.

• Poilu(e) - Hairy (for body, animals, or objects)
• Chevelu(e) - Having a lot of hair (on the head)

Example: Mon chat est très poilu. (My cat is very hairy.)

Conclusion

Mastering hair-related vocabulary in French allows you to describe people more accurately and vividly.

Use être for general hair color descriptions and avoir with les cheveux for more specific details.

Practice these phrases regularly to reinforce your learning.

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