rosé/rosâtre

Question

Could "rosâtre" be used to translate "pinkish" in the phrase "une douce teinte rosée"?

Accepted Answer

Bonjour Sue,
That's a really good question! 
Even if "rosâtre" is translated with "pinkish" in dictionaries, it would not work at all in this context, i.e. "skin complexion". Instead you will encounter "rosâtre" to describe materials such as curtains, bedlinen etc
I hope this is helpful.
Bonne journée !

Answer

I would equate rosâtre with "rosy". Does that fit as well as rosé?

Answer

As Robert defines "rosâtre" as an adjective for something 'qui est d'un rose peu franc' and other references along similar lines, I think its definition fits quite well with the use of 'pinkish' in English. However, in the context of describing the colour of cheeks especially, but also in general everyday speech and modern writing, rose/rosé are encountered much more frequently than 'rosâtre'.