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Describing People Simplified Revision Notes

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Describing People

Physical Appearance

EnglishFrench (Masculine)French (Feminine)
TallGrandGrande
ShortPetitPetite
YoungJeuneJeune
OldVieuxVieille
BeautifulBeauBelle
UglyLaidLaide
FatGrosGrosse
ThinMinceMince
StrongFortForte
WeakFaibleFaible
Blond (hair)BlondBlonde
Brown (hair)BrunBrune
RedheadRouxRousse
BaldChauveChauve
Blue eyesYeux bleusYeux bleus
Green eyesYeux vertsYeux verts
Brown eyesYeux marronYeux marron

Personality Traits

EnglishFrench (Masculine)French (Feminine)
NiceGentilGentille
MeanMéchantMéchante
FunnyDrôleDrôle
SeriousSérieuxSérieuse
ShyTimideTimide
OutgoingSociableSociable
GenerousGénéreuxGénéreuse
LazyParesseuxParesseuse
HardworkingTravailleurTravailleuse
SmartIntelligentIntelligente
StupidStupideStupide
HappyHeureuxHeureuse
SadTristeTriste

Positive Adjectives

infoNote

Exam Tip: A good way to impress the examiner is to use a range of adjectives! Ensure they agree correctly in gender and number with the nouns they describe.

EnglishMasculin SingulierFéminin SingulierPlurielFéminin Pluriel
lovingaimantaimanteaimantsaimantes
devoteddévouédévouéedévouésdévouées
admirableadmirableadmirableadmirablesadmirables
generousgénéreuxgénéreusegénéreuxgénéreuses
patientpatientpatientepatientspatientes
inspiringinspirantinspiranteinspirantsinspirantes
toleranttoléranttolérantetolérantstolérantes
energeticénergiqueénergiqueénergiquesénergiques
protectiveprotecteurprotectriceprotecteursprotectrices

Negative Adjectives

EnglishMasculin SingulierFéminin SingulierPlurielFéminin Pluriel
authoritarianautoritaireautoritaireautoritairesautoritaires
strictsévèresévèresévèressévères
negligentnégligentnégligentenégligentsnégligentes
criticalcritiquecritiquecritiquescritiques
impatientimpatientimpatienteimpatientsimpatientes
irritableirritableirritableirritablesirritables
demandingexigeantexigeanteexigeantsexigeantes
distantdistantdistantedistantsdistantes
selfishégoïsteégoïsteégoïsteségoïstes

Height & Build

EnglishFrench (Masculine)French (Feminine)
TallGrandGrande
ShortPetitPetite
Average heightDe taille moyenneDe taille moyenne
SkinnyMaigreMaigre
AthleticAthlétiqueAthlétique
MuscularMuscléMusclée
PlumpEnrobéEnrobée
infoNote

Exam Tip: When describing someone, remember that adjectives usually come after the noun in French.

  • Un homme grand (A tall man)
  • Une femme petite (A short woman)

Hair Descriptions

FrenchEnglish
Cheveux longsLong hair
Cheveux courtsShort hair
Cheveux bouclésCurly hair
Cheveux raidesStraight hair
Cheveux ondulésWavy hair
Cheveux noirsBlack hair
Cheveux blondsBlonde hair
Cheveux brunsBrown hair
Cheveux rouxRed hair
Cheveux grisGrey hair
infoNote

A few more words you may need:

Une barbe: a beard

Une moustache: a moustache

Des favoris: sideburns

Un bouc: a goatee

Une barbe de trois jours: stubble (literally "a three-day beard")

infoNote

Learning Advice: Describe your friends or family using the vocabulary above. For example:

  • Elle a les cheveux longs et ondulés. (She has long, wavy hair.)

Example Sentences

  • Il est très gentil et intelligent. (He is very kind and smart.)
  • Elle est petite avec des cheveux bruns. (She is short with brown hair.)
  • Ils sont courageux et créatifs. (They are brave and creative.)

Expressing Opinions and Emotions

Now that you've learned some basic vocabulary, let's explore how to express an opinion when describing someone. This section will introduce you to slightly more complex phrases and words, but don't worry—we'll guide you through how to use them correctly!


Common Phrases for Expressing Opinions

FrenchEnglishNotes
Je pense que...I think that...Use this to share your opinion on something.
Je crois que...I believe that...Similar to "I think that..." but more confident.
À mon avis...In my opinion...A more formal way to introduce your opinion.
J'aime...I like...Use this to express what you like.
Je n'aime pas...I don't like...Use this to express what you don't like.
Je préfère...I prefer...Use this to show preference between options.
Il est important de...It's important to...Use this to stress the importance of something.
Je trouve que...I find that...Use this to express your evaluation of something.

Sample Descriptions

Description 1: A Friend

Mon ami s'appelle Max. Il est grand. Il a les cheveux bruns et courts, et les yeux bleus. Il est très drôle et intelligent. J'aime beaucoup passer du temps avec lui parce qu'il est toujours gentil et il me fait rire.

English: My friend's name is Max. He is tall. He has short brown hair and blue eyes. He is very funny and smart. I like spending time with him because he is always kind and makes me laugh.

infoNote

Learning Tip:

  • "Il a les cheveux bruns et courts." – Describe hair by mentioning colour first (bruns), then length (courts). Use les before cheveux because it's a plural noun.
  • "J'aime passer du temps avec lui parce qu'il est toujours gentil." – Express your opinion with J'aime (I like) and use parce que (because) to explain why.

Description 2: Sister

Ma sœur s'appelle Clara. Elle est petite. Elle a les cheveux blonds et bouclés. Elle a les yeux verts. Elle est très créative et elle adore dessiner. Elle est aussi très gentille.

English: My sister's name is Clara. She is short. She has blonde, curly hair. She has green eyes. She is very creative and loves to draw. She is also very kind.

Description 3: A Classmate

Mon camarade de classe s'appelle Lucas. Il est assez petit. Il a les cheveux bruns et courts, et il porte souvent des lunettes. Il est très intelligent et il aime beaucoup les sciences.

English: My classmate's name is Lucas. He is quite short. He has short brown hair and often wears glasses. He is very smart and really likes science.

infoNote

Learning Tip:

  • "Mon camarade de classe s'appelle Lucas." – The phrase camarade de classe is a common way to refer to a classmate.
  • "Il est assez petit." – The use of assez (quite) adds a subtle level of detail.

Description 4: A Teacher

Mon professeur s'appelle Madame Dupont. Elle est grande, avec des cheveux bruns et raides. Elle porte des lunettes et elle a un sourire chaleureux. Elle est très patiente et explique toujours bien les leçons. À mon avis, c'est une excellente enseignante.

English: My teacher's name is Madame Dupont. She is tall, with straight brown hair. She wears glasses and has a warm smile. She is very patient and always explains the lessons well. In my opinion, she is an excellent teacher.

infoNote

Learning Tip:

  • "Mon professeur s'appelle Madame Dupont."Professeur is used for both male and female teachers in French.
  • "Elle porte des lunettes et elle a un sourire chaleureux." – Adding un sourire chaleureux (a warm smile) enriches the description.
  • "Elle est très patiente et explique toujours bien les leçons." – The use of toujours (always) and bien (well) makes the sentence flow naturally.
  • "À mon avis, c'est une excellente enseignante." – The phrase À mon avis introduces a personal opinion, and excellente enseignante (excellent teacher) is a strong concluding statement.
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