Skip to content

pénombre

half-light

noun pay-NOHM-bruh Rare

Origin: From Latin paene (almost) + umbra (shadow).

Also means

penumbra

Usage Note

Pénombre describes the dim, partial light between full light and darkness — a room lit only by a streetlamp, the fading light of dusk. In astronomy it is the penumbra of a partial eclipse. French writers favour it for atmospheric, literary descriptions; the everyday equivalent for simply 'dim' would be lumière tamisée.

Examples

"Il lisait dans la pénombre du soir."

Natural Translation

He was reading in the evening half-light.

Explore French by topic