nounnounadjective

le brut

crude

C’est quelque chose de naturel, sans ajout ni modification, souvent dans son état d’origine.

Word: brut


Meaning in English:

The French word "brut" primarily acts as an adjective and occasionally as a noun, and it generally means "raw," "rough," "pure," or "unrefined."


Detailed Explanation:

  1. As an Adjective:
  • Raw or unprocessed:
    Describes something in its natural, untouched state.
    Example: "bois brut" = raw wood (not treated or polished).

  • Rough, coarse:
    Something not smoothed or finished.
    Example: "mur brut" = rough wall.

  • Gross or total (before deductions):
    Especially in financial or measurement contexts.
    Example: "salaire brut" = gross salary (before taxes/deductions).

  • Pure or absolute:
    Often used to describe something in its pure form, such as "diamant brut" (rough diamond).

  1. As a noun:
  • It can refer to the raw state of a material, such as "le brut" meaning the raw or crude substance, e.g., "le brut de pétrole" – crude oil.

Parts:

  • Root word deriving from Latin brutus, meaning heavy or stupid, but in French evolved to refer to something raw or unpolished.

Synonyms:

  • Raw, unrefined, unprocessed: naturel, non traité, sauvage
  • Gross (in finance): total, avant impôts
  • Rough: rugueux, rêche

Antonyms:

  • Refined, processed: raffiné, traité, poli
  • Net (in finance): net

In summary:

"Brut" emphasizes the original, natural, or uneroded character of something—whether it’s a material, a quantity (like salary), or an idea related to rawness or roughness.

Make “brut” part of your vocabulary.

Build your French vocabulary with flashcards, audio and spaced repetition.

Examples

Ses gestes étaient bruts mais remplis de sincérité.adjective

His gestures were crude but full of sincerity.

Keep exploring French

Learn words from the content you love.

Add words from websites, books and videos, then remember them with spaced repetition (SRS).