The brown-breasted flycatcher is 13–14 cm in length and weighs between 10-14 g. The overall colour of the upper parts is olive brown.

The chin and throat are white while the breast and sides of the body are pale brown.

[4] The most similar species is the Asian brown flycatcher, which has black rather than pale legs.

A subspecies stötzneri (incorrectly spelt as stotmani by E C Stuart Baker[7]) described from Szechwan by Hugo Weigold in 1922[8] appears to fall within the range of visible geographic variations and is not usually recognized.

[4][9] The usual call is very faint tseet audible only at close range or a series of notes chi-chi-chi-chi ending with a low chit-chit.