béret

beret

noun beh-REH Rare

Origin: Gascon dialect beret (flat cap)

Usage Note

Béret is the iconic flat, soft cap associated with French and Basque culture, but the word comes from the Gascon dialect of the Pyrenees. In France it is strongly associated with artists, painters, and historically with Basque identity. The military variant, béret militaire, is standard headgear in the French army with different colours denoting different units.

Examples

"Il portait un béret bleu incliné sur le côté."

Natural Translation

He was wearing a blue beret tilted to one side.

Related Words

Explore French by topic

FrenchNow

French Café Culture: How to Order Like a Local

In a French café, un café means espresso, one drink rents the table for an hour, and you must ask for the bill. Order coffee like a local with these phrases.

June 4, 2026 7 min read

FrenchNow

Faire in French: To Make, To Do, and More

Faire in French means more than make and do: master faire vs rendre, weather and sports idioms, the causative, and the mistakes English speakers make.

June 4, 2026 6 min read

FrenchNow

French Numbers 70, 80, 90 Made Simple

French numbers 70, 80, 90 are soixante-dix, quatre-vingts, and quatre-vingt-dix. Learn three build formulas to make any number 70-99 on the fly.

June 3, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

Aller + Infinitive: The Easy French Future

Form the French near future in seconds: conjugate aller in the present and add an infinitive. Learn futur proche rules, negation, pronouns, and when to use it.

June 4, 2026 6 min read