Physical descriptions (AQA GCSE French): Revision Notes
Physical descriptions
When learning to describe people in French, you'll need to master key vocabulary, understand how adjectives work differently than in English, and practice using various tenses to create detailed descriptions. This topic is essential for everyday conversations and often appears in GCSE speaking and writing tasks.
Essential vocabulary for describing appearance
Understanding how to describe yourself and others forms the foundation of personal descriptions in French. The phrase "Décris-toi" means "Describe yourself" and introduces many key terms you'll use regularly.
Mastering these basic vocabulary terms is crucial as they form the building blocks for all physical descriptions in French. These words appear frequently in both formal assessments and everyday conversations.
Basic appearance vocabulary
| French | English | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| beau/belle | handsome/beautiful | Il est très beau (He is very handsome) |
| cheveux (mpl) | hair | Elle a les cheveux blonds (She has blonde hair) |
| jeune | young | Mon frère est plus jeune (My brother is younger) |
| vieux/vieille | old | Ma grand-mère est vieille (My grandmother is old) |
| grand(e) | tall/big | Je suis assez grande (I am quite tall) |
| petit(e) | small/short | Il est petit pour son âge (He is small for his age) |
| porter | to wear | Je porte souvent du noir (I often wear black) |
| ressembler à | to look like | Tu ressembles à ta mère (You look like your mother) |
Hair and eye descriptions
When describing hair and eyes, French uses specific constructions that differ from English patterns. You typically say "avoir les cheveux" (to have the hair) followed by the description.
Worked Example: Hair Descriptions
Pattern: Subject + avoir + les cheveux + description
Step 1: Start with the subject
- Il (He) / Elle (She) / J' (I)
Step 2: Add the verb "avoir" (to have)
- Il a / Elle a / J'ai
Step 3: Add "les cheveux" + description
- Il a les cheveux courts/longs (He has short/long hair)
- Elle a les cheveux bruns/noirs (She has brown/black hair)
- J'ai les cheveux bouclés (I have curly hair)
Eye descriptions:
- Elle a les yeux bleus (She has blue eyes)
- Il a les yeux verts (He has green eyes)
Understanding adjective agreement
French adjectives behave very differently from English ones, and mastering their agreement is crucial for accurate descriptions. Unlike English, French adjectives must match the gender and number of the nouns they describe.
Critical Grammar Rule
French adjectives MUST agree with the noun they describe in both gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural). This is not optional - incorrect agreement marks your French as beginner level.
Basic agreement rules
French adjectives typically follow the noun they describe and change their endings based on whether the noun is masculine, feminine, singular, or plural. For regular adjectives, you add specific endings:
- Feminine form: Add 'e' to the masculine form
- Plural form: Add 's' to the singular form
- Feminine plural: Add 'es' to the masculine form
| Singular | Plural | |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | grand | grands |
| Feminine | grande | grandes |
Worked Example: Adjective Agreement
Base adjective: grand (tall/big)
Step 1: Identify the noun's gender and number
- "garçon" (boy) = masculine singular
- "fille" (girl) = feminine singular
- "garçons" (boys) = masculine plural
- "filles" (girls) = feminine plural
Step 2: Apply the correct ending
- Il est grand (He is tall) - masculine singular, no change
- Elle est grande (She is tall) - feminine singular, add 'e'
- Ils sont grands (They are tall) - masculine plural, add 's'
- Elles sont grandes (They are tall) - feminine plural, add 'es'
Special cases and exceptions
Some adjectives have irregular patterns that you need to memorise separately. Adjectives ending in 'e' in their masculine form don't change for the feminine (like "jeune"), and those ending in 's' don't add another 's' for the masculine plural (like "gris").
Examples of exceptions:
- Elle est jeune (She is young) - no change needed
- Il a les cheveux gris (He has grey hair) - 'gris' stays the same
Creating complex descriptions with different tenses
To make your descriptions more sophisticated and natural, you can combine different tenses and use various modifiers. This approach demonstrates advanced language skills and makes your French sound more fluent.
Using past and present together
Combining tenses allows you to describe how someone looks now compared to before, adding depth to your descriptions. The imperfect tense (l'imparfait) is particularly useful for describing past appearances, while the present tense describes current appearance.
Worked Example: Combining Tenses
Present description: "Je suis très grand, j'ai les cheveux noirs et les yeux verts" (I am very tall, I have black hair and green eyes)
Adding past comparison: "Quand j'étais plus jeune, j'avais les cheveux courts et j'étais plus petit" (When I was younger, I had short hair and I was shorter)
Combined sophisticated description: "Maintenant, je suis très grand avec les cheveux noirs, mais quand j'étais enfant, j'étais petit et j'avais les cheveux blonds."
Adding modifiers for precision
Using words like "assez" (quite), "très" (very), and "plutôt" (rather) makes your descriptions more nuanced and natural. These modifiers help you express degrees of characteristics rather than absolute statements.
Example: "On dit que je suis assez beau" (People say that I am quite handsome)
Expressing opinions about appearance
French offers several ways to express opinions about people's appearance, and using varied phrases shows sophisticated language skills. These expressions are particularly useful in conversational contexts.
Flexible opinion phrases
| French phrase | English meaning | Example usage |
|---|---|---|
| Je pense que... | I think that... | Je pense que tu es très belle (I think you are very beautiful) |
| Je le/la trouve... | I find him/her... | Je la trouve sympathique (I find her nice) |
| On dit que... | People say that... | On dit qu'il ressemble à son père (People say he looks like his father) |
Cultural Tip
These opinion phrases allow you to soften statements and make them sound more natural and polite, which is particularly important in French conversation culture. Direct statements can sometimes sound too blunt or impolite.
Grammar and pronunciation tips
Essential Pronunciation Rules
- Liaison: When "les" comes before a vowel sound (like in "les yeux"), pronounce it as "lay-zyeu"
- Silent letters: The 's' in "grands" is usually silent unless followed by a vowel
- Stress patterns: French words are generally stressed on the last syllable, so "che-VEUX" not "CHE-veux"
Getting these pronunciation details right will make your spoken French sound much more natural and fluent.
Translation practice
Practice Exercises
French to English
- "Elle a les yeux bleus et les cheveux longs."
- "Je pense que mon frère ressemble à mon père."
English to French
3. "He is quite tall and has brown hair."
4. "When I was young, I had short hair."
Answers
- She has blue eyes and long hair.
- I think my brother looks like my father.
- Il est assez grand et il a les cheveux bruns.
- Quand j'étais jeune, j'avais les cheveux courts.
Key Points to Remember:
- French adjectives must agree with the gender and number of the noun they describe - this is essential for accurate French
- Most descriptive adjectives come after the noun, unlike in English where they come before
- Use "avoir les cheveux/yeux" constructions when describing hair and eyes, not direct translations from English
- Combine different tenses to create more sophisticated and interesting descriptions that show language progression
- Practice opinion phrases like "Je pense que" and "Je trouve" to make your descriptions sound more natural and conversational