Hair in French 85 Easy Hairstyle Words and Phrases

Hair vocabulary shows up everywhere in real life: at the salon, in selfies, in compliments, in awkward schoolbook descriptions of people, and in that moment when you try to explain that you wanted “just a little trim” and somehow left looking dramatically more Parisian than planned.

In this guide, you’ll learn practical French words for hair, hairstyles, hair texture, color, salon phrases, and common verbs you can actually use. The focus is standard France French, with a few learner notes where useful.

If you’re building everyday vocabulary, this topic pairs nicely with body care and hygiene in French and clothing and accessories in French. And if you want to check your level first, try the French placement test or a quick French vocabulary test.

Yak wisdom: learn the words for your own haircut first. Vanity is a surprisingly effective memory tool.

Table of Contents

The Most Useful Hair Words First

Let’s start with the core words you’ll use most often when talking about hair in French.

French	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
les cheveux	lay shuh-VUH	hair	J’ai les cheveux bruns.	I have brown hair.	Always plural in French when talking about hair on your head.
un cheveu	uhn shuh-VUH	a hair, one strand of hair	J’ai un cheveu sur ma veste.	I have a hair on my jacket.	Singular means one hair.
une coiffure	oon kwah-FYUR	hairstyle	J’aime ta coiffure.	I like your hairstyle.	Very common and useful.
se coiffer	suh kwah-FAY	to do one’s hair, to style one’s hair	Elle se coiffe avant de sortir.	She does her hair before going out.	Reflexive verb.
le coiffeur	luh kwah-FUR	male hairdresser, barber in some contexts	Je vais chez le coiffeur demain.	I’m going to the hairdresser tomorrow.	In everyday French, this can also mean the salon visit in general.
la coiffeuse	lah kwah-FUHZ	female hairdresser	Ma coiffeuse est très sympa.	My hairdresser is very nice.	Also means “dressing table” in another context, so context matters.
le salon de coiffure	luh sah-LON duh kwah-FYUR	hair salon	Il y a un nouveau salon de coiffure dans la rue.	There’s a new hair salon on the street.	A very practical phrase.
une coupe	oon koop	cut, haircut	Tu aimes ma nouvelle coupe ?	Do you like my new haircut?	Short and common.
couper	koo-PAY	to cut	Je voudrais couper mes cheveux.	I’d like to cut my hair.	Useful at the salon.
une frange	oon fronzh	bangs, fringe	Elle a une frange courte.	She has short bangs.	France French uses frange, not “bangs,” obviously.

Hair Types And Texture In French

Describing hair texture is one of the most useful things you can do in French. It comes up in physical descriptions, salon visits, and product shopping.

French	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
les cheveux longs	lay shuh-VUH lon	long hair	Elle a les cheveux longs et lisses.	She has long, straight hair.	Longs agrees with plural cheveux.
les cheveux courts	lay shuh-VUH koor	short hair	Il porte les cheveux courts.	He wears his hair short.	Very common description.
les cheveux mi-longs	lay shuh-VUH mee-LON	medium-length hair	J’ai les cheveux mi-longs en ce moment.	I have medium-length hair at the moment.	Useful in salon talk.
les cheveux raides	lay shuh-VUH red	straight hair	Elle a naturellement les cheveux raides.	She naturally has straight hair.	Lisses is also common for smooth/straight-looking hair.
les cheveux lisses	lay shuh-VUH lees	smooth, straight hair	Après le brushing, j’ai les cheveux lisses.	After the blow-dry, my hair is smooth and straight.	Slight nuance: appearance/finish.
les cheveux bouclés	lay shuh-VUH boo-KLAY	curly hair	Il a les cheveux très bouclés.	He has very curly hair.	A great everyday adjective.
les cheveux ondulés	lay shuh-VUH on-doo-LAY	wavy hair	J’ai les cheveux ondulés quand il pleut.	My hair gets wavy when it rains.	Extremely relatable, unfortunately.
les cheveux crépus	lay shuh-VUH kray-PU	coily, kinky hair	Elle prend soin de ses cheveux crépus.	She takes care of her coily hair.	Neutral descriptive term in French.
les cheveux épais	lay shuh-VUH ay-PAY	thick hair	J’ai les cheveux épais, donc ils sèchent lentement.	I have thick hair, so it dries slowly.	Épais = thick.
les cheveux fins	lay shuh-VUH fan	fine hair	Il a les cheveux fins et fragiles.	He has fine and fragile hair.	Not the same as English “fine” meaning okay.
les cheveux secs	lay shuh-VUH sek	dry hair	Mes cheveux sont secs en hiver.	My hair is dry in winter.	Very useful for products.
les cheveux gras	lay shuh-VUH gra	oily hair	J’ai les cheveux gras après deux jours.	My hair gets oily after two days.	Another product-shopping phrase.
les cheveux abîmés	lay shuh-VUH ah-bee-MAY	damaged hair	Le soleil a abîmé mes cheveux.	The sun damaged my hair.	Common in beauty ads and real life.
les pointes fourchues	lay pwant poor-SHEW	split ends	Je dois couper mes pointes fourchues.	I need to cut my split ends.	Pointes = ends/tips.

Hair Colors In French

French uses a few very common hair-color words that don’t always map perfectly to English. The biggest one: brun usually means brown hair, while marron is generally not used to describe a person’s hair in the same way.

French	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
blond / blonde	blon / blond	blond, blonde	Elle est blonde aux yeux verts.	She is blonde with green eyes.	Add -e for feminine.
brun / brune	bruhn / بروon	brown-haired, dark-haired	Il est brun et porte une barbe.	He has brown hair and wears a beard.	Use this for people, not usually marron.
châtain	sha-TAN	light brown, chestnut brown	J’ai les cheveux châtains.	I have light brown hair.	Very common and useful.
roux / rousse	roo / rooss	red-haired, ginger	Elle a les cheveux roux naturels.	She has natural red hair.	Common neutral descriptor.
noir / noire	nwar / nwar	black-haired	Il a les cheveux noirs et courts.	He has short black hair.	Used like an adjective.
gris	gree	gray hair	Mon oncle a les cheveux gris.	My uncle has gray hair.	Same spelling in masculine singular/plural.
blancs	blon	white hair	Ma grand-mère a les cheveux blancs.	My grandmother has white hair.	Usually plural with cheveux.
teint	tan	dyed	Elle a les cheveux teints en rouge.	She dyed her hair red.	Often used with teindre.
décoloré	day-koh-loh-RAY	bleached	Il a les cheveux décolorés.	He has bleached hair.	Common in salon language.
mèché	may-SHAY	highlighted	Elle a les cheveux mèchés pour l’été.	She has highlighted hair for the summer.	From des mèches.

Hairstyles In French

Now for the fun part: actual hairstyles. Some are everyday words, some are salon words, and some are useful mostly when describing photos, celebrities, or your own regrettable experimental phase.

French	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
un carré	uhn kah-RAY	bob haircut	Elle a un carré très élégant.	She has a very elegant bob.	Classic salon term.
un carré plongeant	uhn kah-RAY plon-ZHON	angled bob	Je voudrais un carré plongeant.	I’d like an angled bob.	Very salon-specific and useful.
une queue de cheval	oon kuh duh shuh-VAL	ponytail	Elle attache ses cheveux en queue de cheval.	She ties her hair in a ponytail.	Literally “horse tail.” Charming.
un chignon	uhn shee-NYON	bun, updo	Elle porte un chignon pour le mariage.	She’s wearing a bun for the wedding.	Can sound elegant or formal.
une tresse	oon tress	braid	Sa fille a une longue tresse.	His daughter has a long braid.	Very common.
des tresses	day tress	braids	Elle se fait souvent des tresses.	She often braids her hair.	Plural is often used in practice.
les couettes	lay koo-ET	pigtails	La petite fille porte des couettes.	The little girl is wearing pigtails.	Common word for kids’ hairstyle.
le crâne rasé	luh kran rah-ZAY	shaved head	Il a le crâne rasé.	He has a shaved head.	Useful description phrase.
la raie au milieu	lah ray oh mee-LYUH	middle part	Elle porte la raie au milieu.	She wears a middle part.	Raie = parting.
la raie sur le côté	lah ray sur luh koh-TAY	side part	Je préfère la raie sur le côté.	I prefer a side part.	Very natural phrase.
les cheveux attachés	lay shuh-VUH ah-ta-SHAY	tied-up hair	Au travail, elle porte les cheveux attachés.	At work, she wears her hair tied up.	Useful general description.
les cheveux détachés	lay shuh-VUH day-ta-SHAY	hair worn down	Elle laisse ses cheveux détachés.	She wears her hair down.	Opposite of attachés.
la coupe au bol	lah koop oh bol	bowl cut	Quand j’étais petit, j’avais une coupe au bol.	When I was little, I had a bowl cut.	Many people are still recovering emotionally.
la coupe garçonne	lah koop gar-SON	pixie cut, boyish short cut	Elle a une coupe garçonne très chic.	She has a very chic pixie cut.	Classic term.
les dreadlocks	lay dred-loks	dreadlocks	Il porte des dreadlocks depuis des années.	He has worn dreadlocks for years.	Borrowed term, widely understood.
les cheveux en bataille	lay shuh-VUH on bah-TAI	messy hair, tousled hair	Je me suis réveillé avec les cheveux en bataille.	I woke up with messy hair.	Very useful everyday phrase.

Parts Of The Hair And Head

These words help when talking to a hairdresser, describing hairstyles, or understanding product labels and tutorials.

French	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
le cuir chevelu	luh kweer shuh-vuh-LU	scalp	J’ai le cuir chevelu sensible.	I have a sensitive scalp.	Very useful for products and salon talk.
les racines	lay rah-SEEN	roots	Mes racines sont plus foncées.	My roots are darker.	Common with dyed hair.
les pointes	lay pwant	ends, tips	On coupe juste les pointes.	We’re just cutting the ends.	Magic salon phrase.
une mèche	oon mesh	lock, strand, highlight	Une mèche tombe sur son front.	A strand falls over his forehead.	Also used for highlights.
la raie	lah ray	parting, part	Sa raie est très nette.	Her part is very neat.	Useful but easy to forget.
la nuque	lah nuk	nape of the neck	Les cheveux sont courts sur la nuque.	The hair is short at the nape.	Common in haircut descriptions.
le front	luh fron	forehead	Il a une mèche sur le front.	He has a lock of hair on his forehead.	Useful with bangs/fringe.
les favoris	lay fah-voh-REE	sideburns	Il porte des favoris très fins.	He wears very thin sideburns.	More common than many learners expect.
la barbe	lah barb	beard	Il a une barbe courte.	He has a short beard.	Facial hair often comes up with hairstyle vocab.
la moustache	lah moo-STASH	mustache	Mon grand-père a une moustache blanche.	My grandfather has a white mustache.	Easy cognate.

Hair Tools And Accessories In French

If you brush it, pin it, dry it, clip it, or lose it somewhere in a bathroom drawer, it probably belongs here.

French	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
une brosse	oon bross	brush	Je cherche ma brosse à cheveux.	I’m looking for my hairbrush.	Very common.
un peigne	uhn peny	comb	Il utilise un peigne en bois.	He uses a wooden comb.	Nasal sound in pronunciation.
un sèche-cheveux	uhn sesh-shuh-VUH	hair dryer	Le sèche-cheveux est dans la salle de bains.	The hair dryer is in the bathroom.	Literally “dries-hair.” Efficient, very French.
un fer à lisser	uhn fair ah lee-SAY	hair straightener	Elle utilise un fer à lisser le matin.	She uses a straightener in the morning.	Common modern term.
un fer à boucler	uhn fair ah boo-KLAY	curling iron	J’ai acheté un fer à boucler.	I bought a curling iron.	Good salon and shopping vocab.
une pince	oon panss	clip, claw clip	Elle attache ses cheveux avec une pince.	She clips her hair up with a clip.	Very practical word.
une barrette	oon bah-RET	barrette, hair clip	Ma fille porte une barrette rose.	My daughter is wearing a pink barrette.	Useful especially for kids’ accessories.
un élastique	uhn ay-las-TEEK	hair tie, elastic	Tu as un élastique ?	Do you have a hair tie?	Very common everyday word.
un bandeau	uhn bon-DO	headband	Elle met un bandeau noir.	She puts on a black headband.	Can also mean other kinds of band.
des épingles à cheveux	day zay-PAN-y ah shuh-VUH	hairpins, bobby pins	Il me faut des épingles à cheveux pour ce chignon.	I need hairpins for this bun.	Liaison in des épingles à cheveux is worth noticing.

Hair Products In French

These are the words you’ll see on bottles, in shops, and in conversations about hair care. Very glamorous. Very useful.

French	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
le shampoing	luh shan-PWAN	shampoo	J’utilise un shampoing doux.	I use a gentle shampoo.	Often spelled without the second “o” English expects.
l’après-shampoing	lah-pray shan-PWAN	conditioner	L’après-shampoing rend mes cheveux plus doux.	Conditioner makes my hair softer.	Elision in l’après.
un masque capillaire	uhn mask kah-pee-LAIR	hair mask	Je fais un masque capillaire une fois par semaine.	I do a hair mask once a week.	Capillaire = hair-related.
la laque	lah lak	hairspray	Elle met un peu de laque.	She puts on a little hairspray.	Common styling term.
le gel	luh zhel	gel	Il met du gel dans ses cheveux.	He puts gel in his hair.	Use partitive du.
la cire	lah seer	wax	Je préfère la cire au gel.	I prefer wax to gel.	Useful comparison phrase.
la mousse coiffante	lah mooss kwah-FONT	styling mousse	La mousse coiffante donne du volume.	Styling mousse gives volume.	Salon and product vocab.
l’huile capillaire	lweel kah-pee-LAIR	hair oil	J’applique de l’huile capillaire sur les pointes.	I apply hair oil to the ends.	Elision in l’huile.
la teinture	lah تان-TUR	hair dye	Cette teinture est sans ammoniaque.	This dye is ammonia-free.	Useful in shops and salons.
le spray démêlant	luh spray day-may-LON	detangling spray	Le spray démêlant aide beaucoup.	The detangling spray helps a lot.	Great practical phrase.

Useful Verbs For Hair In French

These verbs let you say what you do with hair, not just what hair looks like.

French	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
se brosser les cheveux	suh broh-SAY lay shuh-VUH	to brush one’s hair	Je me brosse les cheveux tous les matins.	I brush my hair every morning.	French uses reflexive structure here.
se peigner	suh pay-NYAY	to comb one’s hair	Il se peigne rapidement.	He combs his hair quickly.	Less common than se brosser les cheveux in some contexts, but useful.
laver	lah-VAY	to wash	Je lave mes cheveux tous les deux jours.	I wash my hair every two days.	Also common reflexively: se laver les cheveux.
sécher	say-SHAY	to dry	Je laisse sécher mes cheveux à l’air libre.	I let my hair air-dry.	Very practical.
attacher	ah-ta-SHAY	to tie up	Elle attache ses cheveux pour cuisiner.	She ties up her hair to cook.	Useful beyond hair too.
détacher	day-ta-SHAY	to let down, undo	Elle détache ses cheveux le soir.	She lets her hair down in the evening.	Opposite of attacher.
boucler	boo-KLAY	to curl	Elle boucle ses cheveux pour la fête.	She curls her hair for the party.	Verb from boucles, curls.
lisser	lee-SAY	to straighten, smooth	Je ne lisse plus mes cheveux tous les jours.	I don’t straighten my hair every day anymore.	Common in beauty talk.
teindre	TANDR	to dye	Elle veut teindre ses cheveux en blond.	She wants to dye her hair blond.	Often with color after en.
raser	rah-ZAY	to shave	Il se rase la tête chaque été.	He shaves his head every summer.	Useful for shaved styles.

What To Say At The Hairdresser

This is where vocabulary becomes survival. Here are practical salon phrases you can actually use in French.

French Phrase	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
Je voudrais couper un peu.	zhuh voo-DRAY koo-PAY uhn puh	I’d like to cut a little.	Je voudrais couper un peu, pas trop.	I’d like to cut a little, not too much.	Very polite and useful.
Juste les pointes, s’il vous plaît.	zhust lay pwant seel voo PLAY	Just the ends, please.	Juste les pointes, s’il vous plaît, environ deux centimètres.	Just the ends, please, about two centimeters.	Salon classic.
Je veux garder la longueur.	zhuh vuh gar-DAY lah lon-GUR	I want to keep the length.	Je veux garder la longueur sur les côtés.	I want to keep the length on the sides.	Very helpful phrase.
Pas trop court.	pah tro koor	Not too short.	Devant, pas trop court.	In the front, not too short.	Short, simple, effective.
Je voudrais une frange.	zhuh voo-DRAY oon fronzh	I’d like bangs.	Je voudrais une frange légère.	I’d like light bangs.	Légère = wispy/light.
Je voudrais un dégradé.	zhuh voo-DRAY uhn day-grah-DAY	I’d like layers / a fade depending on context	Je voudrais un dégradé discret.	I’d like subtle layers.	Context matters: salon style can vary.
Un peu plus court sur les côtés.	uhn puh ploo koor sur lay koh-TAY	A bit shorter on the sides.	Un peu plus court sur les côtés et derrière.	A bit shorter on the sides and in the back.	Very useful for barber/salon talk.
Je voudrais les cheveux plus clairs.	zhuh voo-DRAY lay shuh-VUH ploo klair	I’d like lighter hair.	Je voudrais les cheveux plus clairs pour l’été.	I’d like lighter hair for summer.	Useful for color appointments.
Vous pouvez laver mes cheveux ?	voo poo-VAY lah-VAY may shuh-VUH	Can you wash my hair?	Vous pouvez laver mes cheveux avant la coupe ?	Can you wash my hair before the cut?	Polite question form.
Je préfère un brushing.	zhuh pray-FAIR uhn broo-SHEENG	I’d prefer a blow-dry.	Après la coupe, je préfère un brushing.	After the cut, I’d prefer a blow-dry.	Brushing in French means blow-dry styling.
Ça me va bien ?	sa muh vah byan	Does it suit me?	Vous pensez que ça me va bien ?	Do you think it suits me?	Very natural phrase.
J’aimerais changer de tête.	zheh-muh-RAY shon-ZHAY duh tet	I’d like a new look.	J’aimerais changer de tête avant la rentrée.	I’d like a new look before the new school year.	Idiomatic and common.

Quick Notes On Usage And Common Mistakes

Use “les cheveux” for hair in general: Elle a les cheveux longs.
Use “un cheveu” only for a single hair: Il y a un cheveu dans mon café. Grim, but grammatically useful.
Say “brun” or “châtain” for brown hair, not usually marron.
Use reflexive verbs often: se coiffer, se brosser les cheveux, se peigner.
French often uses articles with body parts: Je me lave les cheveux, not literally “my hair” in the same way English does every time.
Watch adjective agreement: Elle est blonde, il est blond.
“Brushing” in French means a blow-dry, not the action of brushing.

Mini Reference List: 85 Hair Words And Phrases

Here’s a fast review list of the 85 core items from this guide.

les cheveux
un cheveu
une coiffure
se coiffer
le coiffeur
la coiffeuse
le salon de coiffure
une coupe
couper
une frange
les cheveux longs
les cheveux courts
les cheveux mi-longs
les cheveux raides
les cheveux lisses
les cheveux bouclés
les cheveux ondulés
les cheveux crépus
les cheveux épais
les cheveux fins
les cheveux secs
les cheveux gras
les cheveux abîmés
les pointes fourchues
blond / blonde
brun / brune
châtain
roux / rousse
noir / noire
gris
blancs
teint
décoloré
mèché
un carré
un carré plongeant
une queue de cheval
un chignon
une tresse
des tresses
les couettes
le crâne rasé
la raie au milieu
la raie sur le côté
les cheveux attachés
les cheveux détachés
la coupe au bol
la coupe garçonne
les dreadlocks
les cheveux en bataille
le cuir chevelu
les racines
les pointes
une mèche
la raie
la nuque
le front
les favoris
la barbe
la moustache
une brosse
un peigne
un sèche-cheveux
un fer à lisser
un fer à boucler
une pince
une barrette
un élastique
un bandeau
des épingles à cheveux
le shampoing
l’après-shampoing
un masque capillaire
la laque
le gel
la cire
la mousse coiffante
l’huile capillaire
la teinture
le spray démêlant
se brosser les cheveux
se peigner
laver
sécher
attacher
détacher
boucler
lisser
teindre
raser

Practice: Can You Describe Hair In French?

Try these simple sentences out loud:

J’ai les cheveux châtains et mi-longs. = I have medium-length light brown hair.
Elle a une frange et les cheveux bouclés. = She has bangs and curly hair.
Il porte les cheveux très courts. = He wears his hair very short.
Je vais chez le coiffeur samedi. = I’m going to the hairdresser on Saturday.
Je voudrais juste couper les pointes. = I’d just like to cut the ends.

If you can say those comfortably, you already have a solid everyday hair vocabulary in French.

Yak Takeaway

French hair vocabulary is wonderfully practical: les cheveux, une coupe, une frange, bouclés, raides, une queue de cheval, and juste les pointes will take you surprisingly far. Learn the words for your own hair first, then branch out into salon phrases and style descriptions. That way, the next time someone asks Tu veux quelle coiffure ?, you won’t have to point vaguely at your head and hope for the best.

For more beginner-friendly French vocabulary, explore more lessons in Learn French.