How do You Say Hair in French? Cheveux β Chevaux
In French, we have a special name for the hair which is on top of your head: βles cheveuxβ.
A single piece of hair would be βun cheveuβ in the singular, but in French, when we refer to the ensemble of the hair, as in when you comb your hair, or style your hair, we use βcheveuxβ in the plural:
β’ Des cheveux or les cheveux.
Not to be mistaken with un cheval and des chevaux which are horsesβ¦
How Do You Say βWhat Color Is Her Hair in French?β
β’ Elle a les cheveux de quelle couleur ?
What color is her hair?
You could also say:
β’ De quelle couleur sont ses cheveux ?
However itβs a bit less common in French.
Hair Is Plural In French
Watch out that in French, βles cheveuxβ is pluralβ¦ So whenever you refer to βhairβ (singular in English), youβll need to use a verb / French adjective in the plural.
And of course, like for most French adjectives, the adjective goes after the noun.
β’ Elle a les cheveux blonds. She has blond hair.
You could say: βSes cheveux sont blondsβ but we prefer using the construction βelle a les cheveux + adjectiveβ in French: βelle a les cheveux blondsβ.
And now, letβs see a video featuring the French vocabulary about the hair colors, and using The Sims 4. Sorry there is a mistake I cannot correct at βblondsβ but the pronounciation is OK.
If you are a teacher, please feel free to use this video in class, and share it with other teachers :-)
Hair Colors in French ππΌββοΈ
So now, letβs explore the different hair colors in French.
1. Elle a les cheveux chΓ’tains.
This color is very used in French and usually not known by students. Itβs the equivalent of a dark blond, sort of a chestnut color.
2. Elle a les cheveux bruns = elle est brune
She has brown hair. Sheβs a brunette.
3. Elle a les cheveux blonds = elle est blonde
She has blond hair. Sheβs a blond.
4. Elle a les cheveux roux = elle est rousse.
She has red hair. Sheβs a redhead.
Watch out, French has a specific adjective for red as a hair color : roux, and rousse.We do not use βrougeβ unless the hair has been died in a bright crimson red color.
5. Elle a les cheveux noirs.
She has black hair.
Watch out! We do not say βelle est noireβ to talk about her hair color. βElle est noireβ means βshe is black of skinβ. And it is the politically correct term to use in French.
6. Elle a les cheveux blancs.
She has white hair.
Same remark. Elle est blanche would refer to her skin color.
7. Elle a les cheveux gris.
She has grey hair.
8. Elle a les cheveux poivre et sel.
In English, you say βsalt and pepperβ but in French we say βpepper and saltββ¦
9. Elle a des mèches bleues et violettes.
She has blue and purple highlights.
Et vous ? Vous avez les cheveux de quelle couleur ?
Leave a comment in French β I always read the comments and answer them on my blog β your feedback is super important to me and itβs what fuels me to do more :-)

A new approach to learning both traditional and modern French logically structured for English speakers.
How to Say Hair Style in French
We say βla coiffureβ for hair style in French.
Not to be mistaken with βle coiffeur, la coiffeuseβ β the hairdresser, hair stylist
And now, letβs see a video featuring the French vocabulary about hair styles and textures, using The Sims 4.
If you are a teacher, please feel free to use this video in class, and share it with other teachers :-)
French Hair Length Vocabulary
- Comment est-elle coiffΓ©e ?
How is her hair styled ? How does she wear her hair? - Elle a les cheveux courts, très courts.
Her hair is short, very short. - Elle a les cheveux longs
Her hair is long - Elle a les cheveux mi-long
Her hair is medium length - Elle nβa pas de cheveux : elle est chauve
She doesnβt have any hair: she is bald
9 French Hairstyle π±ββοΈ
- Elle porte ses cheveux sur le cΓ΄tΓ©.
She wears her hair on the side. - Elle a une frange.
She has bangs, singular in French. - Elle a les cheveux attachΓ©s.
Her hair is tied up. - Elle a une tresse.
She has a braid. - Elle a des tresses africaines, ou bien: elle a des dreadlocks.
She has African braids, or dreadlocks. - Elle a un chignon β un chignon haut, un chignon rondβ¦
She wears her hair up β a high bun, a round bun - Elle a une queue de cheval β une queue de cheval haute, une queue de cheval basse.
She has a ponytail β a high ponytail, a low ponytail (note that in French we say βhorseβ tail) - Elle a des couettes β des couettes courtes, de longues couettes.
She has pigtails β short pigtails, long pigtails. - Elle a une afro.
She has an afro.
French Hair Texture Adjectives
Now, letβs look at some hair texture French vocabulary.
- Elle a les cheveux lisses
Her hair is straight - Elle a les cheveux ondulΓ©s
Her hair is wavy - Elle a les cheveux bouclΓ©s
She has curly hair.
6 Hair Styles For Men in French ππΎββοΈ
- Il a les cheveux courts.
His hair is short. - Il a les cheveux trΓ¨s courts, ou mΓͺme rasΓ©s, comme Γ lβarmΓ©e.
His hair is very short, or even shaven, like in the army. - Il a les cheveux dΓ©garnis et un jour peut-Γͺtre, il sera chauve.
He has balding hair, and one day maybe, heβll be bald. - Il a une crΓͺte iroquoise.
He has a mohawk. - Il a les cheveux courts sur le cΓ΄tΓ©, et longs au dessus.
His hair is short on the side, longer on top. - Il a les cheveux rasΓ©s sur le cΓ΄tΓ©, et plus longs au dessus.
His hair is shaven short on the side, longer on top.
Hair Colors For Men in French
Pour la couleurs des cheveux des hommes:
- Sβil a les cheveux blonds, on dit quβil est blond.
If his hair is blond, we say he is a blond. - Sβil a les cheveux bruns, il est brun.
If his hair is brown, we say he is a brunette. - Et sβil a les cheveux roux, il est roux.
And if his hair is red, he is a redhead.
Γ vous ! Itβs your turn β leave a comment and describe your hairstyle in French!
I read all the comments and really appreciate your feedback!
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