Gebräunt

Gebräunt is a German adjective formed from bräunen (to tan or bronze) with the prefix ge-, yielding gebräunt meaning that something has acquired a brown color through exposure or processing. The term is commonly used to describe skin that has darkened from sun exposure as well as leather and hides that have been treated through tanning.

In reference to living beings, gebräunte Haut denotes skin darkened by the sun, i.e., a tan. The degree of tanning can be described with modifiers such as leicht gebräunt (lightly tanned), mittlerer gebräunt or dunkel gebräunt (darkly tanned). The usage is generally neutral, though it can carry cultural associations related to health, beauty standards, or outdoor activity.

In material contexts, gebräunt can describe leather or hides that have undergone tanning. Gebräuntes Leder indicates leather that has been treated to become more durable and sometimes to attain a brown color. Different tanning methods, such as vegetable tanning or chromium tanning, influence the material’s properties beyond mere coloration, but the term gebräunt emphasizes the finished brown appearance.

Geographically, gebräunt is mainly used in German-speaking regions. The expression relies on context to distinguish between sun-induced tanning of skin and the tanning of materials. Examples in everyday language include "Nach dem Urlaub war er leicht gebräunt" and "Das gebräunte Leder hat eine warme Farbe."