The color brown

Question

When do we use marron or brun for the color brown?

Accepted Answer

Bonjour Malini,
Paul and Kathleen are making excellent points here. 
Brun = skin / hair / fur - Marron = all the rest (more or less)
In French, you can say: un chien (de couleur) marron = a brown dog (as it refers to the colour ‘marron’ rather than the fur)
 
If you are specifically referring to fur / skin, you will say something as follows:
Cet animal a une fourrure brune = this animal has brown fur
un chien à la fourrure brune = a brown fur dog (as it refers to fur)
une tâche brune sur ta jambe = a brown spot on your leg (as it refers to the skin)
 
Exception: la bière brune = stout
 
I hope this is helpful.
Bonne journée!

Answer

I had this question also

Answer

So did I, then someone mentioned reading the lesson.  I did, and found the answer - "brun" for hair, skin and fur, "marron" for everything else?  But the lesson also has brown dogs and mice that are "marron", so I'm not sure.

Answer

Interesting question. They are essentially different shades of brown. When I looked it up I found that « brun » is quite dark brown. Hair can be « brun » if dark brown or « châtain » if light brown. Eyes are usually « marron » but can be « noisette » (hazel). And as an interesting point, in France most brown things are usually referred to as « marron » but in Canada they apparently just say «  brun » for almost everything brown.