sombre/sɔ̃bʁ/
adjective · B1 · Frequency 1743
adjective
Meanings
dark
Commonly used to describe environments or objects with little light or deep color.
gloomy, melancholic
Used to describe a person's mood, atmosphere, or environment conveying gloom or melancholy.
right, damn, bloody
Used in spoken language to intensify expression with a negative connotation, common in French colloquial speech.
Examples
Le couloir sombre ne reçoit presque aucune lumière naturelle.
The dark corridor receives almost no natural light.
Un ciel sombre annonçait un orage proche.
A dark sky announced an approaching storm.
Depuis cette mauvaise nouvelle, il garde un air sombre.
Since hearing the bad news, he has looked gloomy.
Collocations
- une pièce sombrea dark room
- un visage sombrea gloomy face
Common mistakes
un chambre sombre
une chambre sombre
Chambre is a feminine noun, so the article before the adjective should be une.
Related words
- antonymclairclear (see-through); clear (understandable); light (of a color)
antonymgaicheerful; merry
adjective
Meanings
dark
Commonly used to describe environments or objects with little light or deep color.
gloomy, melancholic
Used to describe a person's mood, atmosphere, or environment conveying gloom or melancholy.
right, damn, bloody
Used in spoken language to intensify expression with a negative connotation, common in French colloquial speech.
Examples
Les couloirs sombres de la maison semblaient interminables.
The house's dark corridors seemed endless.
Des nuages sombres ont caché la lune.
Dark clouds hid the moon.
Après cette défaite, leurs pensées sont devenues sombres.
After that defeat, their thoughts became gloomy.