Learning how to say colors in different languages is an important part of understanding and speaking that language. Colors are used every day in many situations, from describing objects to expressing emotions. In French, the word for brown is “marron,” but there are other ways to describe different shades of brown, depending on what you’re talking about.
In this article, we’ll explore how to say “brown” in French, along with some variations and other phrases you can use. Whether you’re talking about the color of your coffee, your shoes, or a tree, knowing these terms will help you sound more natural when speaking French. Let’s get started!
Ways to Say “Brown” in French
Here are 25 ways to say “brown” in French, along with their pronunciation, meaning, and example sentences.
Marron (ma-ron)
Meaning: Brown (general color, used for things like chocolate, wood, and clothing)
In a Sentence:
- Mon sac est marron. (My bag is brown.)
- J’aime les yeux marron. (I like brown eyes.)
Brun (bruhn)
Meaning: Brown (used more for darker or deeper shades, often for hair or more specific objects)
In a Sentence:
- Il a les cheveux bruns. (He has brown hair.)
- Le cheval est brun. (The horse is brown.)
Chocolat (sho-ko-la)
Meaning: Chocolate (often used to describe a rich, dark brown)
In a Sentence:
- La couleur du chocolat est chocolat. (The color of chocolate is brown.)
- Elle porte un manteau chocolat. (She’s wearing a chocolate-colored coat.)
Café (ka-fay)
Meaning: Coffee (a shade of brown similar to coffee color)
In a Sentence:
- J’aime boire du café café. (I like to drink coffee-colored brown.)
- Les murs sont café. (The walls are coffee-colored.)
Noisette (nwa-zet)
Meaning: Hazelnut (light brown, often used for lighter brown hair or objects)
In a Sentence:
- Ses yeux sont noisette. (Her eyes are hazel brown.)
- La table est noisette. (The table is hazelnut-colored.)
Acajou (ah-ka-zhoo)
Meaning: Mahogany (deep reddish-brown)
In a Sentence:
- Le meuble est acajou. (The furniture is mahogany.)
- Il a une porte en acajou. (He has a mahogany door.)
Châtaigne (sha-tein)
Meaning: Chestnut (a medium-brown color)
In a Sentence:
- Le fauteuil est châtaigne. (The chair is chestnut-colored.)
- J’ai un sac en cuir châtaigne. (I have a chestnut leather bag.)
Caramel (ka-ra-mel)
Meaning: Caramel (light brown, like the color of caramelized sugar)
In a Sentence:
- Mon gâteau a une couleur caramel. (My cake has a caramel color.)
- Elle porte une écharpe caramel. (She wears a caramel scarf.)
Brun clair (bruhn klehr)
Meaning: Light brown (used to describe lighter shades of brown)
In a Sentence:
- Il a les cheveux brun clair. (He has light brown hair.)
- La veste est brun clair. (The jacket is light brown.)
Terre de sienne (ter duh syenn)
Meaning: Siena (reddish-brown, like the color of the earth in Italy)
In a Sentence:
- La peinture est terre de sienne. (The painting is Siena-colored.)
- J’ai des rideaux terre de sienne. (I have Siena-colored curtains.)
Miel (mee-el)
Meaning: Honey (warm, golden brown)
In a Sentence:
- Elle a des cheveux couleur miel. (She has honey-colored hair.)
- Le sol est miel. (The floor is honey-colored.)
Tawny (taaw-nee)
Meaning: Tawny (a warm, orange-brown color)
In a Sentence:
- Le lion a une fourrure tawny. (The lion has tawny fur.)
- Les feuilles de l’arbre sont tawny. (The tree’s leaves are tawny.)
Fauve (fohv)
Meaning: Tawny (a slightly darker, yellowish brown)
In a Sentence:
- Il a un manteau fauve. (He has a tawny coat.)
- Le tigre a une fourrure fauve. (The tiger has tawny fur.)
Bordeaux (bor-doh)
Meaning: Bordeaux (deep red-brown)
In a Sentence:
- Le vin est de couleur bordeaux. (The wine is Bordeaux-colored.)
- Elle porte des chaussures bordeaux. (She wears Bordeaux shoes.)
Pecan (pee-kan)
Meaning: Pecan (a brown with a slight reddish tint, like the color of a pecan nut)
In a Sentence:
- Le bois est de couleur pecan. (The wood is pecan-colored.)
- J’ai un pull pecan. (I have a pecan-colored sweater.)
Café au lait (ka-fay oh lay)
Meaning: Coffee with milk (a light brown with a mix of white)
In a Sentence:
- Le lait dans mon café est café au lait. (The milk in my coffee is light brown.)
- Sa chemise est café au lait. (His shirt is coffee with milk-colored.)
Tabac (ta-bah)
Meaning: Tobacco (dark, brownish color)
In a Sentence:
- Le sol est de couleur tabac. (The ground is tobacco-colored.)
- Il porte un pantalon tabac. (He wears tobacco-colored pants.)
Sépia (seh-pee-ah)
Meaning: Sepia (a brownish-gray color, often seen in old photographs)
In a Sentence:
- La photo est en couleur sépia. (The photo is in sepia color.)
- J’ai une peinture sépia. (I have a sepia-colored painting.)
Brun doré (bruhn doh-ray)
Meaning: Golden brown (a rich, warm brown with a golden tint)
In a Sentence:
- Les cheveux de Marie sont brun doré. (Marie’s hair is golden brown.)
- Le ciel est brun doré au coucher du soleil. (The sky is golden brown at sunset.)
Noir de jais (nwar duh zhay)
Meaning: Jet black (a very dark brown, almost black)
In a Sentence:
- Les oiseaux sont noir de jais. (The birds are jet black.)
- Il a une voiture noir de jais. (He has a jet black car.)
Caramel clair (ka-ra-mel klehr)
Meaning: Light caramel (a softer, lighter brown)
In a Sentence:
- Elle porte un pantalon caramel clair. (She wears light caramel-colored pants.)
- La couleur des cheveux d’Emma est caramel clair. (Emma’s hair is light caramel-colored.)
Sable (sa-bluh)
Meaning: Sand (a pale, beige-brown color)
In a Sentence:
- La plage est de couleur sable. (The beach is sand-colored.)
- Mon sac est sable. (My bag is sand-colored.)
Brun rusé (bruhn roo-zay)
Meaning: Fox brown (reddish-brown, like a fox’s fur)
In a Sentence:
- Le renard a une fourrure brun rusé. (The fox has fox-brown fur.)
- Il porte un pull brun rusé. (He wears a fox-brown sweater.)
Ginger (jin-jur)
Meaning: Ginger (a reddish-brown, like ginger root or hair)
In a Sentence:
- Ses cheveux sont ginger. (Her hair is ginger-colored.)
- La teinte de cette robe est ginger. (The color of this dress is ginger.)
Marron glacé (ma-ron gla-say)
Meaning: Glazed brown (a dark, shiny brown color)
In a Sentence:
- Le chocolat est marron glacé. (The chocolate is glazed brown.)
- Le cuir de la valise est marron glacé. (The leather of the suitcase is glazed brown.)
Other Ways to Say “Brown” in French
Here is a markdown table with other ways to say “brown” in French, along with their pronunciation, meaning, and example sentences:
Other ways to say | Pronunciation | Meaning | Example Sentences |
Marron clair | (ma-ron klehr) | Light brown (used for softer, lighter shades) | – La couleur de l’herbe est marron clair. (The grass is light brown.) – Il porte un pantalon marron clair. (He wears light brown pants.) |
Sépia clair | (seh-pee-ah klehr) | Light sepia (lighter, pale brown with gray tone) | – Le ciel au coucher du soleil est sépia clair. (The sky at sunset is light sepia.) – Mon manteau est sépia clair. (My coat is light sepia-colored.) |
Brun chaud | (bruhn show) | Warm brown (a rich, cozy brown) | – J’aime les teintes de brun chaud. (I love warm brown tones.) – Son pull est brun chaud. (His sweater is warm brown.) |
Brun foncé | (bruhn fawn-say) | Dark brown (deep, rich shade of brown) | – La porte est de couleur brun foncé. (The door is dark brown.) – Il a un cuir brun foncé. (He has dark brown leather.) |
Marron foncé | (ma-ron fawn-say) | Dark brown (dark, intense brown) | – Le canapé est marron foncé. (The couch is dark brown.) – Mon chocolat est marron foncé. (My chocolate is dark brown.) |
Taupe | (tohp) | Taupe (grayish-brown, muted tone) | – Le tapis est taupe. (The carpet is taupe.) – Elle porte une veste taupe. (She wears a taupe jacket.) |
Cuir | (kweer) | Leather (brown leather-like color) | – Le sac est en cuir. (The bag is leather.) – Le canapé est en cuir. (The sofa is made of leather.) |
Brun de noisette | (bruhn duh nwah-zet) | Hazelnut brown (nutty, warm brown) | – La couleur de ses cheveux est brun de noisette. (Her hair color is hazelnut brown.) – Cette étagère est en bois brun de noisette. (This shelf is made of hazelnut brown wood.) |
Paille | (pah-yuh) | Straw (pale brown, like straw) | – Le chapeau est paille. (The hat is straw-colored.) – Les murs sont de couleur paille. (The walls are straw-colored.) |
Fauve clair | (fohv klehr) | Light tawny (yellowish-brown, light version) | – Le pelage du lion est fauve clair. (The lion’s fur is light tawny.) – Il a des cheveux fauve clair. (He has light tawny hair.) |
Brun rousse | (bruhn roos) | Reddish-brown (brown with red tones) | – Elle a les cheveux brun rousse. (She has reddish-brown hair.) – La robe est brun rousse. (The dress is reddish-brown.) |
Groseille | (groh-say) | Red-brown (like the color of red berries) | – Le fruit est de couleur groseille. (The fruit is red-brown.) – Elle a une veste groseille. (She has a red-brown jacket.) |
Brun chaud clair | (bruhn show klehr) | Light warm brown (a soft, cozy light brown) | – La couverture est de couleur brun chaud clair. (The blanket is light warm brown.) – Il a un pull brun chaud clair. (He has a light warm brown sweater.) |
Brique | (breek) | Brick (reddish-brown, like a brick color) | – La maison est de couleur brique. (The house is brick-colored.) – Le sol est brique. (The floor is brick-colored.) |
Response to “Brown” in French
When someone mentions the color “brown” in French, you can reply with a variety of responses depending on the situation. Here are some common responses you can use.
- C’est joli ! (Say zho-lee)
Meaning: It’s pretty!
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Mon manteau est marron. (My coat is brown.)
- Person 2: C’est joli ! (It’s pretty!)
- J’aime aussi le brun. (Zhem oh-see luh broon)
Meaning: I also like brown.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: J’ai acheté un sac brun. (I bought a brown bag.)
- Person 2: J’aime aussi le brun. (I also like brown.)
- Quelle belle couleur ! (Kel bel koo-luhr)
Meaning: What a beautiful color!
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: La table est marron clair. (The table is light brown.)
- Person 2: Quelle belle couleur ! (What a beautiful color!)
- Le chocolat est délicieux ! (Luh sho-ko-la eh day-lee-syu)
Meaning: The chocolate is delicious! (A fun way to comment on brown, especially when it’s referring to food.)
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Ce gâteau est de couleur chocolat. (This cake is chocolate-colored.)
- Person 2: Le chocolat est délicieux ! (The chocolate is delicious!)
- Ça me rappelle le café. (Sah muh rah-pel luh ka-fay)
Meaning: It reminds me of coffee.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: J’ai une chemise café. (I have a coffee-colored shirt.)
- Person 2: Ça me rappelle le café. (It reminds me of coffee.)
- C’est un peu sombre. (Say uh puh som-bruh)
Meaning: It’s a little dark.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Le salon est décoré en brun foncé. (The living room is decorated in dark brown.)
- Person 2: C’est un peu sombre. (It’s a little dark.)
- J’adore cette couleur pour les meubles ! (Zha-dor set koo-luhr poor lay meh-bluh)
Meaning: I love this color for furniture!
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Mon canapé est marron. (My couch is brown.)
- Person 2: J’adore cette couleur pour les meubles ! (I love this color for furniture!)
- Ça va bien avec le bois. (Sah vah byan ah-vek luh bwah)
Meaning: It goes well with the wood.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Cette chaise est en châtaigne. (This chair is chestnut-colored.)
- Person 2: Ça va bien avec le bois. (It goes well with the wood.)
- C’est un joli ton de marron. (Say uh zho-lee ton duh ma-ron)
Meaning: It’s a nice shade of brown.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Ce sac est marron glacé. (This bag is glazed brown.)
- Person 2: C’est un joli ton de marron. (It’s a nice shade of brown.)
- Il est parfait pour l’automne. (Eel eh par-fay poor lo-ton)
Meaning: It’s perfect for autumn.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: J’ai des décorations brun rusé. (I have reddish-brown decorations.)
- Person 2: Il est parfait pour l’automne. (It’s perfect for autumn.)
Exercise to Practice Saying “Brown” in French
Here is an exercise to practice saying “brown” in French. The exercise includes 12 fill-in-the-blank sentences in French using the various ways to say “brown” from the previous steps. After the sentences, I will provide the answers and their meanings.
Fill in the blanks
- Mon sac est ________.
- Le cheval est ________.
- J’ai acheté un pull ________.
- Ses cheveux sont ________.
- La couleur de mon chocolat est ________.
- La veste de Jean est ________.
- Elle a les yeux ________.
- Mon canapé est ________.
- Le sol dans la cuisine est ________.
- La couleur du bois est ________.
- La porte est ________.
- Son manteau est ________.
Answers
- Marron – My bag is brown.
- Brun – The horse is brown.
- Café – I bought a coffee-colored sweater.
- Brun clair – Her hair is light brown.
- Chocolat – The color of my chocolate is chocolate.
- Marron foncé – Jean’s jacket is dark brown.
- Noisette – Her eyes are hazel brown.
- Brun – My couch is brown.
- Brun rusé – The floor in the kitchen is reddish-brown.
- Châtaigne – The color of the wood is chestnut.
- Brun doré – The door is golden brown.
- Marron glacé – His coat is glazed brown.
Conclusion
Understanding how to say “brown” in French is a great way to expand your vocabulary and describe the world around you more clearly. Whether you’re talking about the color of your clothes, food, or nature, you now have a variety of words to choose from, depending on the shade of brown you’re describing. From the simple marron to richer tones like chocolat and brun foncé, each term adds something unique to your French conversations.
By practicing the exercises and using these new words in everyday situations, you’ll feel more confident speaking French. Remember, the more you practice, the easier it becomes to use these colors naturally. Keep learning, and soon you’ll be able to describe everything in your world with even more detail!