🇫🇷 Describing People in French
Welcome to the French Family Portrait!
Imagine you’re an artist. You have a magical paintbrush that paints with words. Today, we’ll paint pictures of people using French words!
🏠 Part 1: Family Vocabulary (La Famille)
Meet the French Family Tree
Think of a family like a team. Everyone has a special role!
graph TD A["👴 Grand-père<br>Grandfather"] --> C["👨 Père<br>Father"] B["👵 Grand-mère<br>Grandmother"] --> C A --> D["👩 Mère<br>Mother"] B --> D C --> E["👦 Fils<br>Son"] C --> F["👧 Fille<br>Daughter"] D --> E D --> F E --> G["👶 Frère<br>Brother"] F --> H["👶 Sœur<br>Sister"]
The Core Family Words
| French | English | Easy Memory Trick |
|---|---|---|
| la mère | mother | “Mer” sounds like “mare” - a mama horse! |
| le père | father | “Père” rhymes with “care” - dads care! |
| le frère | brother | “Frère” has “fr” like “friend” |
| la sœur | sister | “Sœur” sounds sweet like sisters |
| le fils | son | “Fils” = feels like family |
| la fille | daughter | “Fille” = a little girl |
| le grand-père | grandfather | Grand = big, père = father = Big Father! |
| la grand-mère | grandmother | Grand + mère = Big Mother! |
Extended Family
| French | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| l’oncle | uncle | Mon oncle s’appelle Pierre. |
| la tante | aunt | Ma tante habite à Paris. |
| le cousin | cousin (boy) | J’ai trois cousins. |
| la cousine | cousin (girl) | Ma cousine a dix ans. |
| le neveu | nephew | Mon neveu est petit. |
| la nièce | niece | Ma nièce est adorable. |
💡 Quick Example Story
“Voici ma famille! Ma mère s’appelle Marie. Mon père s’appelle Jean. J’ai un frère et une sœur. Mon grand-père raconte des histoires!”
(Here is my family! My mother is called Marie. My father is called Jean. I have a brother and a sister. My grandfather tells stories!)
👤 Part 2: Physical Descriptions
Painting with Words
When you describe how someone looks, you’re painting their picture with words!
Hair (Les Cheveux)
| French | English |
|---|---|
| les cheveux blonds | blond hair |
| les cheveux bruns | brown hair |
| les cheveux noirs | black hair |
| les cheveux roux | red hair |
| les cheveux longs | long hair |
| les cheveux courts | short hair |
| les cheveux frisés | curly hair |
| les cheveux raides | straight hair |
Example: Elle a les cheveux longs et blonds. (She has long blond hair.)
Eyes (Les Yeux)
| French | English |
|---|---|
| les yeux bleus | blue eyes |
| les yeux verts | green eyes |
| les yeux marron | brown eyes |
| les yeux noirs | black eyes |
| les yeux gris | gray eyes |
Example: Il a les yeux verts. (He has green eyes.)
Height & Build
| French | English |
|---|---|
| grand(e) | tall |
| petit(e) | short/small |
| de taille moyenne | medium height |
| mince | thin/slim |
| gros(se) | big/fat |
| fort(e) | strong |
Example: Mon frère est grand et fort. (My brother is tall and strong.)
The Magic Formula 🪄
To describe someone, use this pattern:
Il/Elle est + [adjective] + avec les cheveux + [hair] + et les yeux + [eyes]
Complete Example:
Elle est petite avec les cheveux noirs et frisés et les yeux marron. (She is short with black curly hair and brown eyes.)
🎭 Part 3: Personality Traits
The Inside Matters Too!
Now we paint what’s inside a person - their personality!
Positive Traits ✨
| French | English | Easy Trick |
|---|---|---|
| gentil(le) | kind/nice | “Gentle” = kind |
| intelligent(e) | intelligent | Same in English! |
| amusant(e) | funny | “Amuse” = funny |
| sympa | nice/friendly | Short for sympathique |
| généreux/généreuse | generous | Same root! |
| courageux/courageuse | brave | “Courage” = brave |
| patient(e) | patient | Same word! |
| calme | calm | Same word! |
| créatif/créative | creative | Same root! |
| travailleur/travailleuse | hardworking | “Travail” = work |
Challenging Traits 😬
| French | English |
|---|---|
| timide | shy |
| têtu(e) | stubborn |
| paresseux/paresseuse | lazy |
| égoïste | selfish |
| bavard(e) | talkative |
| nerveux/nerveuse | nervous |
| impatient(e) | impatient |
| strict(e) | strict |
💬 Example Sentences
Ma sœur est très gentille et généreuse. (My sister is very kind and generous.)
Mon grand-père est patient et calme. (My grandfather is patient and calm.)
Mon cousin est amusant mais un peu bavard! (My cousin is funny but a little talkative!)
💖 Part 4: Emotions and Feelings
The Weather Inside Us
Emotions are like weather inside our hearts. Sometimes sunny, sometimes rainy!
Happy Emotions ☀️
| French | English | When You Feel It |
|---|---|---|
| heureux/heureuse | happy | Got a gift! 🎁 |
| content(e) | pleased/happy | Did well on a test! ✅ |
| joyeux/joyeuse | joyful | Birthday party! 🎂 |
| excité(e) | excited | Going on vacation! ✈️ |
| fier/fière | proud | Won a game! 🏆 |
| amoureux/amoureuse | in love | Heart goes boom! 💕 |
Sad Emotions 🌧️
| French | English | When You Feel It |
|---|---|---|
| triste | sad | Lost your toy 😢 |
| malheureux/malheureuse | unhappy | Bad day 😞 |
| déçu(e) | disappointed | Plans cancelled |
| seul(e) | lonely | Friends away |
Other Emotions 🌈
| French | English |
|---|---|
| fatigué(e) | tired |
| en colère | angry |
| fâché(e) | upset/angry |
| surpris(e) | surprised |
| confus(e) | confused |
| inquiet/inquiète | worried |
| effrayé(e) | scared |
| jaloux/jalouse | jealous |
| nerveux/nerveuse | nervous |
| calme | calm |
The Emotion Formula 🎯
Je suis + [emotion] = I am + [emotion] Il/Elle est + [emotion] = He/She is + [emotion]
💬 Example Conversations
🗣️ “Comment ça va?” (How are you?) 😊 “Je suis content!” (I am happy!)
🗣️ “Comment va ta sœur?” (How is your sister?) 😔 “Elle est un peu triste aujourd’hui.” (She is a little sad today.)
🎨 Putting It All Together
The Complete Portrait
Now you can paint a full picture of anyone!
Template:
C’est [name]. C’est mon/ma [family relation]. Il/Elle est [physical] avec les cheveux [hair] et les yeux [eyes]. Il/Elle est [personality]. Aujourd’hui, il/elle est [emotion].
Example:
C’est Sophie. C’est ma sœur. Elle est grande avec les cheveux longs et blonds et les yeux bleus. Elle est gentille et amusante. Aujourd’hui, elle est heureuse!
(This is Sophie. She is my sister. She is tall with long blond hair and blue eyes. She is kind and funny. Today, she is happy!)
🌟 Remember!
- Family = The people in your life
- Physical = What you SEE (hair, eyes, height)
- Personality = What they ARE LIKE inside
- Emotions = What they FEEL right now
You’re now ready to describe anyone in French! 🎉
“Chaque personne est un livre. Apprends à lire leurs pages!” (Every person is a book. Learn to read their pages!)