Learning French GCSE can be easier by mastering adjectives for describing appearances. This post explores key adjectives and offers tips to help you succeed.
Adjectives are essential for describing physical characteristics in French, but it's crucial to know their correct placement in a sentence for clear communication. Now, let's dive into some helpful tips for using adjectives effectively.
Tip #1 - adjectives generally follow the noun they describe
In French, adjectives generally follow the noun they describe, unlike in English where the order is reversed. This means that instead of saying "the tall man," you would say "l'homme grand." For example:
Il a les cheveux (noun) blonds (adjective).
Tip #2 - Using Gender and Plurality in Adjectives
Adjectives must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. This means that the adjectives will change depending on whether the noun is masculine or feminine, singular or plural. For regular adjectives, add -e to an adjective when using it for a feminine noun, and add -s for a plural noun. For example :
Une fille intelligente / un garçon intelligent
Il est content / ils sont contents
Elle est amusante / elles sont amusantes
Tip #3 - Describing a feature including hair and eyes
When describing a feature including hair and eyes, the adjective agrees with the feature, not the person. For example:
Ma sœur a les yeux bleus. - My sister has blue eyes.
J’ai les yeux bleus/verts/gris/marron/noisette. – I have blue/green/brown/hazel eyes.
The French word for eyes, yeux, is masculine and plural, so bleus has an -s on the end
Tip #4 - Example to describe the style, length and colour of someone’s hair
Ma sœur a les cheveux blonds et raides. – My sister has straight, blond hair.
J’ai les cheveux noirs et longs. – I have long, black hair.
J’ai les cheveux roux et bouclés. – I have curly, ginger hair.
Mon ami a les cheveux mi-longs et ondulés. – My friend has medium length, wavy hair. (Higher vocabulary.)
J’ai les cheveux violets et courts. – I have short, purple hair.
Mon grand-père a les cheveux gris et courts. – My grandfather has short grey hair.
Tip #5 - Other vocabulary for describing people's appearances
Je suis grand(e)/petit(e)/de taille moyenne. – I am tall/short/medium height.
Je porte des lunettes. – I wear glasses.
Je suis gros(se)/mince. – I am fat/slim.
Il a une barbe. – He has a beard.
Il est beau/Elle est belle. – He/She is good-looking.
Tu es joli(e)/laid(e). – You are pretty/ugly.
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