French Adjectives That Describe Physical Appearance

Adjectives that are used to describe physical appearances are generally the most common types of
adjectives.

attractive - attrayant(e) - ah-tray-ahn/ah-tray-ahnt

bald - chauve - shov Note the 'o' is long' as in show

beautiful - beau/belle - boe/bell

big - grand(e) - grahn/grahnd

bloody - sanglant(e) - song-glahn/song-glahnt

blonde - blond(e) - blohn/blohnd

bony - osseux/osseuse - oh-suh/oh-suz

brunnette - brunette - broo-net

chubby - ptel(e) - poe - tuh-lay - Note the 'o' is long as in show

curly - boucl(e) - boo-klay

cute/pretty - jolie - jho-lee - Note that the 'j' is soft and sounds similar to the 'su' combo
in measure; the 'o' is long as in show

fat - gras(se) - grhah/grahss

tall - grand(e) - grahn/grahnd

short - petit(e), court(e) (hair) - puhtee/puteet, coohr/coohrt

slender - mince - mahns

ugly - laid(e) - lay/led

French Adjectives Describing a Person's Personality

Go beyond the normal 'nice' or 'mean' and really try to describe someone in depth with this list of
adjectives. Beware of false cognates, but also make note of those words that look similar to their
English counterparts. Doing so will help you memorize them more easily.

academic - intellectuel(le) - ahn-tuh-lec-twel

active - actif/active - ahk teef/ahk-teev

affectionate - affectueux/affectueuse ah-fec-too-uh/ah-fec-too-uhz

aggressive - agressif/agressive - ah gress eef/ah-gress-eeve

agreeable - agrable - ah-gray-ah-bluh

aloof - distant(e) - dee stahn/dee-stahnt

amicable - amical(e) - ah-mee-cal

approachable - abordable - ah-bohr-dah-bluh

bad - mchant(e) - may-shan/may-shant

bitter -amer/amre - ah-mehr/ah-mair

blunt - brusque - broosk

bossy - autoritaire - oh-tohr-ee-tair

brave - courageux/courageuse - coor-ah-geuh/coor-ah-geuz Note that the 'g' is soft

like the second 'g' in garage.

candid - franc/franche - frahn/franc

carefree - insouciant(e) - ehn-soo-see-ahn/ehn-soo-see-ahnt

careless - ngligent(e) - nay-glee-gohn/nay-glee-gohnt Note the second 'g' is soft like

the second 'g' in garage.

chatty - bavard(e) - bah-vahr/bah vahrd

cocky- trop sr de soi - tro-soor-duh-swah - Note that the 'o' in 'trop' is long like the 'o'
in show.

competent or capable - comptant(e) - cohm-pay-tahn/cohm-pay-tahnt Note that the

'o' is long as in 'show' and the 'a' sounds like the 'a' in 'father.'

conceited - vaniteux/vaniteuse - vahn-ee-tuh/vahn-ee-tuhz

despicable - mprisable - may - pree-sah-bluh

dumb - bte - bet

fashionable - la mode - ah-lah-mohd

funny - drle - drol - Note that the 'o' is long as in 'show'.

generous - gnreux/gnreuse - gay-nay-ruh/gay-nay-ruhz Note that the 'g' is soft

like the second 'g' in 'garage.'

gentle - doux/douce - goo/doos

impolite - impoli(e) - ahm-poe-lee

loving - affectueux/affecteuse - ah-fect-uh/ah-fect-uhz

mean - mchant(e) - may-shahnt

merciful - misricordieux/misricordieuse - mee-sair-ee-cohr-dee-uh/mee-sair-eecohr-dee-uhz

nice - sympathique - sam-pah-teek

obnoxious - odieux/odieuse - oh-dee-uh/oh-dee-uhz

obstinate - obstin(e) - ohb-stee-nay - Note that the 'o' is long as in 'show.'

petty - mesquin(e) - mes-kehn/mes-keen

quiet - tranquille - trohn-kee-yuh

sensitive - sensible - sohn-see-bluh

sporty - sportif/sportive - spohr-teef/spohr-teev

stodgy - lourd(e) - loor/loord

strong - fort(e) - fohr/fort

French Adjectives Describing a Person's State of Being or Actions

Whether you are being ridiculous or petty - these adjectives focus on descriptive words that may fit
you or your friends in a given situation (as opposed to a general personality trait). Don't let that fool
you though since adjectives generally correspond from English to French.

absurd - absurd(e) - ahb-soor/ahb-soord

abusive - grossier/grossire - grohs-see-ay/grohs-see-air Note that the 'o' is long as in

'show.'

alert - alert(e) - ah-lehr/ah-lehrt

ambiguous - ambigu/ambigu - ahm-bee-goo

amenable - obligeant(e) - oh-blee-ghay-ahn/oh-blee-ghay-ahnt Note that the 'g' is soft

like the second 'g' in garage.

amorous - amoureux/amoureuse - ah-moo-ruh/ah-moo-ruhz

angry - fch(e) or en colre -fah-shay or ohn-coh-lair

anonymous - anonyme - ah-no-neem

anxious - anxieux/anxieuse - ahn-ksee-uh/ahn-ksee-uhz

apprehensive - inquiet/inquite - ahn-kee-ay/ahn-kee-et

available - disponible - dee-spohn-ee-bluh

awkward - maladroit(e) - mah-lah-dwah/mah-la-dwaht

bilingual - bilingue - bee-lahng Note that the 'a' sounds like the 'a' in 'father.'

busy - occup(e) - oh-coo-pay

compassionate - compatissant(e) - cohm-pah-tee-sahn/cohm-pah-tee-sahnt

content - satisfait(e) - sah-tees-fay/sah-tees-fet

corny - cul(e) - ay-coo-lay

corrupt - corrompu(e) - coohr-rohm-poo

devious - retors - ruh-tohr

envious - envieux/envieuse - ohn-vee-uh/ohn-vee-uhz

evil - malfaisant(e) - mahl-feh-sahn/mahl-feh-sahnt

frail - frle - frell

furious - furieux/furieuse - foor-ee-uh/foor-ee-uhz

happy - heureux/heureuse - uh-ruh/uh-ruhz

healthy - sain(e) - sehn Note that this is hte pronunciation for saine. To prounce its
male counterpart 'sain' - make the same sound but do not articulate the 'n'.

hungry - affam(e) - ah-fah-may

indecisive - indcis(e) - ehn-day-see/ehn-day-seez

insane - fou/folle - foo/fohll

lonely - solitaire - soh-lee-taire

miserable - malheureux/malheureuse - mah-luh-ruh/mah-luh-ruhz

nervous - nerveux/nerveuse - nehr-vuh/nehr-vuhz

pensive - songeur/songeuse - sohn-guhr/sohn-guhz Note the 'g' is soft like the second
'g' in 'garage.'

reasonable - raisonable - reh-sohn-nah-bluh

restless - agit(e) - ah-gee-tay Note that the 'g' is soft like the second 'g' in garage.

shameless - hont(e) - ay-ohn-tay