If you’ve ever tried to translate “dry” from English to French, you might have noticed that it’s not always a simple one-to-one translation. Unlike English, where one word often covers many nuances, French often has specific terms for specific situations.

From a dry wine to a dry sense of humor, or even dry weather, the French language offers a rich vocabulary to express these different states.

Let’s dive into 9 different ways to say “dry” in French, so you can master these nuances and sound more like a native speaker!

The general 'dry' (for objects, weather, etc.) – sec/sèche

Sec (masculine singular) and sèche (feminine singular) are the most common French words for 'dry'.

As an adjective, sec/sèche must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. Here are its forms: * sec: masculine singular (e.g., un climat sec - a dry climate) * sèche: feminine singular (e.g., une serviette sèche - a dry towel) * secs: masculine plural (e.g., des cheveux secs - dry hair) * sèches: feminine plural (e.g., des feuilles sèches - dry leaves)

You'll primarily use sec/sèche to describe something that lacks moisture or liquid, like objects, land, or even the weather. Think of a towel that's no longer wet, or a period without rain.

When talking about wine, sec specifically means 'dry' in the sense of not sweet. For example, you'd ask for un vin blanc sec (a dry white wine).

In a medical context, une toux sèche refers to a 'dry cough', one that doesn't produce phlegm. This is a common fixed expression.

Sec/sèche can also be used figuratively. Un humour sec means 'dry humor' (sarcastic, understated). Describing a person as sec/sèche can imply they are abrupt, harsh, or even cold in their demeanor.

Remember that as an adjective, sec/sèche usually comes after the noun it describes in French, and its ending must always match the gender and number of that noun.

Given its wide range of applications, from literal dryness to figurative expressions, sec/sèche is a highly versatile and essential adjective to master in French.

💡 * Le linge est sec. (The laundry is dry.)

Il fait un temps sec. (The weather is dry.)

J'ai une toux sèche. (I have a dry cough.)

J'aime le vin sec. (I like dry wine.)

Elle a un humour très sec. (She has a very dry humor.)

The 'parched' or 'withered' dry – desséché/desséchée

When you need to describe something as intensely dry, to the point of being parched, withered, or shriveled, the French adjective to reach for is desséché (masculine) or desséchée (feminine).

This word isn't just for 'a little dry'; it conveys a sense of extreme dehydration, often with negative consequences. Think of a plant that hasn't been watered in weeks, or soil cracked from prolonged drought. It implies a lack of moisture that has led to a noticeable change in texture or vitality.

Beyond the literal, desséché can also be used figuratively to describe something that has lost its vigor, freshness, or even emotional warmth. For example, a person's voice might be described as desséchée if it's harsh or devoid of emotion, or a creative work might feel desséchée if it lacks inspiration.

Like many French adjectives, desséché/desséchée must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. Remember to use desséché for masculine nouns and desséchée for feminine nouns. For plural forms, add an 's': desséchés (m. pl.) and desséchées (f. pl.).

While sec/sèche is a general 'dry,' desséché/desséchée carries a much stronger, more evocative meaning of having been dried out or deprived of moisture over time, leading to a state of being shriveled or devoid of life. It emphasizes the process and its visible result.

💡 *La terre est desséchée par le soleil. (The earth is parched by the sun.)
*Les feuilles mortes sont complètement desséchées. (The dead leaves are completely withered.)
*Sa voix était desséchée par l'émotion. (His voice was dry/hoarse with emotion.)
*Après des années sans pluie, la rivière était desséchée. (After years without rain, the river was dried up.)
*Le fruit desséché a un goût plus intense. (The dried fruit has a more intense taste.)

The 'arid' (for land, climate, or style) – aride

The French adjective aride directly translates to 'arid' in English, primarily referring to land or a climate that is dry and barren.

As an adjective, aride agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies. Interestingly, it's one of those adjectives that doesn't change form for feminine: aride (masculine/feminine singular), arides (masculine/feminine plural).

Beyond its literal meaning, aride is also commonly used in a figurative sense to describe something that lacks interest, warmth, or vivacity. This can apply to a writing style, a speech, a subject matter, or even a personality that is perceived as 'dry' or 'uninteresting'.

The context usually makes it clear whether aride refers to a physical dryness or a lack of engagement. When describing a text, a discussion, or a person, it implies a lack of creativity, emotion, or appeal, making it seem uninspiring.

You'll often hear it in phrases like un climat aride (an arid climate), une terre aride (arid land), or un style aride (a dry/uninteresting style). Pay attention to the noun it modifies to understand the intended meaning.

💡 * Le désert est une région aride.

Son discours était aride et ennuyeux.

Les sols arides ne permettent pas une bonne agriculture.

J'ai trouvé le livre un peu aride, sans beaucoup d'émotions.

Ils vivent dans un climat très aride.

The 'run dry' (for a river, well, or source) – à sec

The French expression à sec literally means 'to dry' or 'dry' and describes a state of having no water or liquid left. It's used when something has completely run out of its liquid content.

This phrase is most commonly applied to natural water sources such as rivers (rivières), wells (puits), or springs (sources) that have completely dried up, often due to drought or excessive consumption.

Beyond its literal sense, à sec is frequently used in a figurative way to mean 'out of money,' 'broke,' or 'having no more financial resources'. It implies a complete depletion of funds.

As an adverbial phrase, à sec remains invariable; it does not change for gender or number. It can be used with verbs like être (to be) or mettre (to put/make).

💡 * La rivière est à sec à cause de la sécheresse. (The river is dry because of the drought.)

Mon compte en banque est à sec avant la fin du mois. (My bank account is dry/empty before the end of the month.)

Après avoir tout payé, je suis à sec. (After paying everything, I'm broke.)

Ils ont laissé le puits à sec en pompant trop d'eau. (They left the well dry by pumping too much water.)

The 'dry' of dry cleaning – nettoyage à sec

The 'dry' of dry cleaning – nettoyage à sec

Nettoyage à sec is the standard French term for 'dry cleaning,' literally translating to 'cleaning dry' or 'cleaning by dry method.'

It's composed of nettoyage (cleaning) and the adverbial phrase à sec (dry), indicating the method used rather than the state of the item.

You'll commonly see nettoyage à sec on clothing labels, at specialized cleaning shops (often called a pressing or teinturerie), and in conversations about garment care.

To express 'to dry clean something' in French, the most common and natural phrase is faire nettoyer à sec (to have something dry cleaned).

When you need to ask for dry cleaning services, you would typically say, 'Je voudrais faire nettoyer ça à sec' (I would like to have this dry cleaned).

💡 * Ce pull nécessite un nettoyage à sec. (This sweater requires dry cleaning.)

Où est la teinturerie pour le nettoyage à sec ? (Where is the dry cleaner for dry cleaning?)

Je dois faire nettoyer mon costume à sec. (I need to have my suit dry cleaned.)

L'étiquette dit 'nettoyage à sec uniquement'. (The label says 'dry clean only'.)

The 'dry' of dry wine – vin sec

In French, when you want to refer to "dry wine," the correct term is vin sec. The word sec (pronounced "sek") is the adjective for "dry," and vin (pronounced "van") means "wine."

It's important to understand that when applied to wine, sec specifically refers to the absence of residual sugar. A vin sec is a wine that has had most, if not all, of its sugar fermented into alcohol, resulting in a non-sweet taste. This is different from the English "dry" meaning a lack of moisture or a parched feeling.

To give context, French wine terminology also includes terms like demi-sec (literally "half-dry," meaning off-dry or medium-dry, with a noticeable but not overwhelming sweetness) and moelleux or doux (sweet wines). So, sec is at one end of the spectrum, indicating minimal sweetness.

As an adjective, sec must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. Since vin is masculine singular, it remains sec. If you were referring to a dry drink in general (e.g., une boisson sèche), the feminine form sèche would be used. For plural, it would be des vins secs.

When ordering or discussing wine in French, always use vin sec to specify a dry wine. Avoid translating "dry" literally if you mean something like "thirsty" (which is avoir soif) or a "dry mouth" (which would be la bouche sèche), as this could lead to confusion. Vin sec is solely about the sugar content.

💡 * Je préfère le vin blanc sec avec ce plat de poisson. (I prefer dry white wine with this fish dish.)

Ce vin rouge est très sec et fruité. (This red wine is very dry and fruity.)

Est-ce que vous avez un champagne sec, s'il vous plaît? (Do you have a dry champagne, please?)

Les vins secs accompagnent parfaitement les fruits de mer. (Dry wines pair perfectly with seafood.)

Un brut est toujours un vin sec en matière de champagne. (A brut is always a dry wine when it comes to champagne.)

The 'dry' of dry humor – humour sec

When talking about 'dry humor' in French, the term you'll want to use is humour sec.

Literally translating to 'dry humor,' humour sec describes a type of wit that is subtle, understated, and often delivered with a straight face. It's characterized by its lack of overt emotion or obvious punchlines, relying instead on irony, sarcasm, and clever wordplay.

The word humour is a masculine noun in French, so you will always use it as un humour sec or l'humour sec.

💡 * J'adore son humour sec, il me fait toujours rire. (I love his dry humor, he always makes me laugh.)

C'est un comédien connu pour son humour sec et pince-sans-rire. (He's a comedian known for his dry and deadpan humor.)

Elle a un sens de l'humour très sec, parfois il faut un moment pour comprendre la blague. (She has a very dry sense of humor, sometimes it takes a moment to get the joke.)

Son commentaire était plein d'humour sec. (His comment was full of dry humor.)

The 'dry' of dry hair or skin – secs/sèches

To describe something as 'dry' in French, particularly when referring to hair or skin, you will use the adjective sec or sèche.

As with most French adjectives, sec/sèche must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. This means: sec (masculine singular), sèche (feminine singular), secs (masculine plural), and sèches (feminine plural).

You'll most commonly encounter this adjective in phrases like cheveux secs (dry hair) and peau sèche (dry skin). These are key terms for beauty and personal care discussions.

💡 *J'ai les cheveux secs et j'ai besoin d'un bon après-shampoing. (I have dry hair and I need a good conditioner.)
*Ma peau est très sèche en hiver, je dois l'hydrater souvent. (My skin is very dry in winter, I have to moisturize it often.)
*Elle a les lèvres sèches à cause du vent. (She has dry lips because of the wind.)
*Ces produits sont parfaits pour les peaux sèches et sensibles. (These products are perfect for dry and sensitive skin.)

The 'dried up' or 'drained' – asséché/asséchée

The French term asséché (masculine singular) or asséchée (feminine singular) comes from the verb assécher, which means 'to dry up,' 'to drain,' or 'to run dry.' As a past participle, it is frequently used as an adjective to describe something that has become dry or depleted.

Like many French adjectives, asséché/asséchée must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. You'll see it as asséché (masculine singular), asséchée (feminine singular), asséchés (masculine plural), and asséchées (feminine plural).

In its most literal sense, asséché/asséchée describes physical dryness or depletion. This is commonly applied to bodies of water (rivers, lakes, wells), land (soil, fields), or even something like a person's throat becoming dry.

Beyond its literal meaning, asséché/asséchée is also used metaphorically to describe a state of being 'drained' or 'depleted' of non-physical things. This can refer to a person's energy, resources, creativity, or even a company's funds.

💡 * La rivière est complètement asséchée à cause de la sécheresse. (The river is completely dried up because of the drought.)

Après une longue randonnée, ma gorge était asséchée. (After a long hike, my throat was dry/parched.)

Les ressources financières de l'entreprise sont asséchées. (The company's financial resources are drained.)

Le sol argileux est asséché par le soleil. (The clay soil is dried up by the sun.)

Je me sens asséché d'idées après cette longue réunion. (I feel drained of ideas after this long meeting.)

Are there other ways to say 'dry' in French?

Are there other ways to say “dry” in French?

Our list features the most common ways to say “dry” in French, covering various contexts like weather, wine, and humor. But French, rich in nuance, offers many other terms, from formal to colloquial, and even regional expressions this author might not be aware of!

To delve deeper into specific contexts, you can also do an online search for “comment dire sec pour le temps” (how to say dry for weather) or “comment dire sec pour l’humour” (how to say dry for humor) followed by a specific Francophone country or region to discover local usages.

You might find some interesting synonyms or idiomatic expressions for 'dry' in French. Of course, make sure to check a word’s definition and try to see it used in context before you incorporate it into your vocabulary.

Pay attention as you read, watch, and listen to things in French — you may discover various fascinating ways to describe something as 'dry'!

And if you’re looking for ways to talk about different kinds of 'dryness' or words about this concept in French, the WordReference entry for sec is a fantastic place to start!

I hope you found this article helpful. Here’s a thought to finish it with, emphasizing the richness of language: Plus on connaît une langue, plus on en apprécie les nuances. (The more one knows a language, the more one appreciates its nuances.)

9 ways to say "dry" in French