Skip to content

noir

black

adjective noun NWAHR Common

Usage Note

Noir as a noun (le noir) means 'darkness' or 'black' as a colour. The feminine form is noire. Common expressions include marché noir (black market), broyer du noir (to feel gloomy), and c'est écrit noir sur blanc (it's written in black and white, i.e. clearly stated). Noir also describes coffee with no milk (un café noir).

Examples

"Elle porte toujours une robe noire."

Natural Translation

She always wears a black dress.

Free starter pack

Building your French vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common French words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Explore French by topic