noir/nwaʁ/
adjective / noun · A2 · Frequency 650
adjectivemasculine
Meanings
black in colour; dark
Used to describe the colour black or darkness.
drunk; inebriated
Informal usage describing a person who is intoxicated.
Black (of a person); of Black ethnicity
Refers to people of black ethnicity.
Examples
Le chat noir dort près de la fenêtre.
The black cat is sleeping near the window.
Après trois verres, il était complètement noir.
After three drinks, he was completely drunk.
Un écrivain noir a présenté son nouveau roman hier soir.
A Black writer presented his new novel last night.
Collocations
- un café noirblack coffee
Common mistakes
noire
noir
The adjective noir has masculine singular form noir and feminine singular form noire; correct gender agreement is required.
Related words
nounmasculine
Meanings
black color; darkness
Refers to the color black or the absence of light; can also mean darkness.
a black person (archaic or inappropriate usage)
This usage is now often considered outdated or impolite and should be avoided.
Examples
Le noir de cette encre reste intense après séchage.
The black of this ink remains intense after drying.
Dans la cave sans fenêtres, le noir rendait chaque déplacement hésitant.
In the windowless cellar, the darkness made every movement hesitant.
Elle a choisi le noir pour les rideaux du salon.
She chose black for the living room curtains.
Collocations
- couleur noir profonddeep black color
- cheveux noirblack hair
- nuit noirblack night
Common mistakes
Il a invité un noir à la réunion.
Il a invité un homme noir à la réunion.
Using the noun noir alone to refer to a Black person is archaic or inappropriate; homme noir or personne noire is more suitable.
Related words
nounmasculine
Meanings
black (person)
Refers to people of African descent; usage requires sensitivity to context and politeness.
black (color)
Denotes the color black, commonly used to describe the color of objects.
Examples
Un Noir a ete choisi pour representer l'association au conseil municipal.
A Black man was chosen to represent the association on the municipal council.
Le musee presente le portrait d'un Noir dans une salle consacree a l'histoire coloniale.
The museum displays the portrait of a Black person in a room devoted to colonial history.
Dans son roman, un Noir raconte son experience de l'immigration en France.
In his novel, a Black man recounts his experience of immigration in France.
Collocations
- un Noira Black person
- le noirblack
Common mistakes
un noir
une personne noire
Using ‘un noir’ as a noun for a black person can be considered impolite; it is better to use ‘une personne noire’ for respectfulness.
le noir est une couleur chaude
le noir est une couleur froide
Black is generally considered a cool color; mistakenly thinking it is warm is a common error.
Related words
synonympersonne noireblack person
synonymcouleur noireblack color
- antonymblancwhite color, white person
adjectivefeminine
Meanings
black in colour; dark
Used to describe the colour black or darkness.
drunk; inebriated
Informal usage describing a person who is intoxicated.
Black (of a person); of Black ethnicity
Refers to people of black ethnicity.
Examples
La peinture noire absorbe la lumière de la pièce.
The black paint absorbs the light in the room.
Après plusieurs verres, elle est complètement noire.
After several drinks, she is completely drunk.
Cette athlète noire représente son pays aux Jeux olympiques.
This Black female athlete represents her country at the Olympic Games.
Collocations
- un café noirblack coffee
Common mistakes
noire
noir
The adjective noir has masculine singular form noir and feminine singular form noire; correct gender agreement is required.
Related words
adjectivemasculine
Meanings
black in colour; dark
Used to describe the colour black or darkness.
drunk; inebriated
Informal usage describing a person who is intoxicated.
Black (of a person); of Black ethnicity
Refers to people of black ethnicity.
Examples
Les rideaux noirs assombrissent la chambre.
The black curtains darken the room.
De noirs nuages annonçaient un violent orage.
Dark clouds heralded a violent storm.
Après la fête, mes voisins sont rentrés noirs.
After the party, my neighbors came home drunk.