Vocabulaire
In section 3, you saw some adjectives used to describe people’s physical appearance. Here is an expanded list:
Description physique (1)
| Français | Anglais |
|---|---|
| joli(e) | pretty |
| beau, belle | handsome, beautiful |
| laid(e) | ugly |
| mignon(nne)* | cute |
| jeune | young |
| vieux, vieille | old, elderly |
| gros(se)* | fat |
| maigre | thin |
| mince | thin, slender |
| petit(e) | small, little, short in height |
| de taille moyenne | average height |
| grand(e) | tall, big |
| long(ue)* | long |
| court(e) | short in length |
| fort(e) | strong (or hefty) |
| faible | weak |
| roux, rousse* | redheaded |
| blond(e) | blond |
| brun(e) | dark-haired |
*mignon, mignonne; vieux, vieille, gros, grosse, long, longue, and roux, rousse have irregular gender changes.
Description physique (2): les cheveux et les yeux
| Français | Anglais |
|---|---|
|
Il, elle a les cheveux ________. longs châtains bruns blonds courts frisés mi-longs roux |
He, she has ________ hair. long (light) brown (dark) brown blond short curly medium-length red |
|
Il, elle a les yeux ________. bleus verts marron* bruns noisette* |
He, she has ________ eyes. blue green (light) brown (dark) brown hazel |
|
Il, elle porte ________. des lunettes un chapeau, etc. |
He, she is wearing ________. glasses a hat etc. |
|
Il, elle a ________. une moustache une barbe une tache de naissance une tache de rousseur |
He, she has ________. a mustache a beard a birth mark a freckle |
|
Il, elle est ________. sourd(e) aveugle muet, muette |
He, she is ________. deaf blind mute |
* In French, when a common noun is use as an adjective, like in the case of marron or noisette it does not take an s for plural. If you want to know why, click here to read about these invariable adjectives of color.
Adjectifs descriptifs : Les traits de personnalité
| Français | Anglais | |
|---|---|---|
| sympathique, sympa | nice, likable, pretty nice, friendly, sympathetic | |
| gentil(le) | kind, gentle, cute, charming | |
| antipathique | unpleasant | |
| amusant(e) | funny | |
| drôle | funny | |
| rigolo(te) | funny | |
| intelligent(e) | intelligent | |
| sage | prudent, cautious, judicious | |
| intéressant(e) | interesting | |
| (im)patient(e) | (im)patient | |
| sociable | sociable | |
| timide | timid, shy | |
| réservé(e) | reserved | |
| organisé(e) | organized | |
| dynamique | energetic | |
| strict(e) | strict | |
| fort(e) | strong, skilled | |
| cool | cool (anglicisme) | |
| charmant(e) | charming | |
| poli(e) | polite | |
| enthousiaste | enthusiastic | |
| idéaliste | idealistic | |
| réaliste | realistic | |
| optimiste | optimistic | |
| pessimiste | pessimistic | |
| méchant(e) | mean | |
| cruel(le) | cruel | |
| calme | calm | |
| tranquille | calm, quiet | |
| différent(e) | different | |
| inséparable | inseparable | |
| jaloux, jalouse | jealous | |
| The adjectives below are irregular in their gender and number agreement. Pay close attention to the ending changes. | ||
| curieux, curieuse | curious | |
| généreux, généreuse | generous | |
| nerveux, nerveuse | nervous | |
| sérieux, sérieuse | serious | |
| heureux, heureuse | happy | |
| malheureux, malheureuse | unhappy, miserable | |
| affectueux, affectueuse | affectionate | |
| ambitieux, ambitieuse | ambitious | |
| décisif, décisive | decisive | |
| fou, folle | crazy | |
| fier, fière | proud | |
| intellectuel, intellectuelle | intellectual | |
| nouveau, nouvelle | new | |
| naïf, naïve | naive | |
| vieux, vieille | old, elderly | |
| discret, discrète | discreet | |
Les parties du corps (body parts)
Knowing the parts of the body can come in handy when playing sports, clothes shopping, seeing the doctor, and more. Learn how to talk about your body in French, from head to toe.
| Français | Anglais |
|---|---|
| les cheveux | hair |
| la tête | head |
| le visage | face |
| l’œil | eye |
| les yeux | eyes |
| le nez | nose |
| la bouche | mouth |
| l’oreille (f.) | ear |
| le cou | neck |
| le bras | arm |
| l’épaule (f.) | shoulder |
| la main | hand |
| le dos | back |
| la jambe | leg |
| le pied | foot |
Listen to this song to review and practice pronouncing body parts: Une patate (chanson)
