Skip to content

"brown" in seven languages

Meaningbrown

Spanish

marrón

/maˈron/

borrowed · French marron

Hair and eyes are castaño; Latin America often says café.

French

marron

/maʁɔ̃/

borrowed · Italian marrone

Invariable as a colour: des chaussures marron. Brun is used for hair and skin.

Italian

marrone

/marˈrone/

inherited

Also a large chestnut — the original meaning.

Portuguese

marrom

/maˈhõ/

borrowed · French marron

European Portuguese prefers castanho; hair and eyes are castanhos in Brazil too.

Romanian

maro

/maˈro/

borrowed · French marron

Invariable: pantofi maro, rochie maro.

Catalan

marró

/məˈro/

borrowed · French marron

English

brown

/bɹaʊn/

native English · Old English brūn

English → ItalianbrownmarroneNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: maroon (via French).What English and Italian share

The ancestor

Italian marrone (pre-Latin, origin uncertain)‘large chestnut’

All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.

The story

Brown is literally 'chestnut-coloured': an Italian word for the big chestnut, passed to French and on to Spanish. English maroon is the same word.

English relatives: maroon (via French)

Learn it

Practice the Colors deckQuiz a friend on it

In a sentence

  • esTiene zapatos marrones.
  • frIl a des chaussures marron.
  • itHa le scarpe marroni.
  • ptEle tem sapatos marrons.
  • roAre pantofi maro.
  • caTé unes sabates marrons.
  • enHe has brown shoes.

More in Colors

All Colors words