The François' langur is glossy black with white hair on the cheeks that extend from the corner of the mouth to the ears, and a high pointed crest on the head. Very similar in appearance to the Hatinh langur, they can be distinguished by the absence of white hair on the upper lip and that they hold the tail up and away from the body, whereas the Hatinh holds its tail up and over the body. Males and females differ little in size, weighing between 6.5 and 7.8kg for males and 5.5 to 7.9kg for females with an average head and body length of 56cm. Females possess a distinctive 'pubic patch' of white fur and pale skin anterior to the callosities.