French Descriptive Words for a Person 👩👨🇫🇷
If you want to describe people in French, you’ll need the right adjectives and descriptive words. Whether you’re talking about appearance, personality, or emotions, these words are essential for everyday conversations.
This guide gives you the most useful French descriptive words for a person, with English translations and examples.
👀 Physical Appearance
-
Grand / Grande – tall
-
Petit / Petite – short
-
Beau / Belle – beautiful, handsome
-
Joli / Jolie – pretty
-
Mignon / Mignonne – cute
-
Jeune – young
-
Vieux / Vieille – old
-
Gros / Grosse – big, overweight
-
Mince – slim
-
Fort / Forte – strong
👉 Example: Elle est grande et très jolie.
(She is tall and very pretty.)
👩 Hair & Eye Descriptions
-
Les cheveux blonds – blond hair
-
Les cheveux bruns – brown hair
-
Les cheveux roux – red hair
-
Les cheveux noirs – black hair
-
Les cheveux longs – long hair
-
Les cheveux courts – short hair
-
Les yeux bleus – blue eyes
-
Les yeux verts – green eyes
-
Les yeux marron – brown eyes
👉 Example: Il a les cheveux courts et les yeux verts.
(He has short hair and green eyes.)
😊 Personality Traits (Positive)
-
Sympathique (sympa) – nice, friendly
-
Gentil / Gentille – kind
-
Drôle – funny
-
Intelligent / Intelligente – intelligent
-
Créatif / Créative – creative
-
Travailleur / Travailleuse – hardworking
-
Honnête – honest
-
Sérieux / Sérieuse – serious
-
Optimiste – optimistic
👉 Example: Mon ami est très drôle et sympathique.
(My friend is very funny and friendly.)
😒 Personality Traits (Negative)
-
Méchant / Méchante – mean
-
Paresseux / Paresseuse – lazy
-
Égoïste – selfish
-
Timide – shy
-
Bavard / Bavarde – talkative (can be negative)
-
Impoli / Impolie – rude
-
Triste – sad
-
Nerveux / Nerveuse – nervous
-
Têtu / Têtue – stubborn
👉 Example: Il est paresseux et un peu égoïste.
(He is lazy and a little selfish.)
😃 Emotions & States
-
Content / Contente – happy
-
Heureux / Heureuse – joyful
-
Triste – sad
-
Fatigué / Fatiguée – tired
-
Énervé / Énervée – annoyed
-
Amoureux / Amoureuse – in love
-
Calme – calm
-
Stressé / Stressée – stressed
-
Fâché / Fâchée – angry
👉 Example: Aujourd’hui, je suis très fatigué mais content.
(Today, I am very tired but happy.)
💬 Useful Phrases
-
Il est comment ? – What is he like?
-
Elle est très gentille. – She is very kind.
-
Il est grand et sportif. – He is tall and athletic.
-
Mon professeur est sérieux mais sympa. – My teacher is serious but nice.
-
Elle a les yeux bleus et un sourire magnifique. – She has blue eyes and a beautiful smile.
🎯 Practice Activity
👉 Write 3–4 sentences in French describing yourself or a friend. For example:
-
Je suis créatif et travailleur.
-
Mon amie est petite avec les cheveux longs.
-
Il est drôle mais un peu timide.
✅ Conclusion
By learning these French descriptive words for a person, you’ll be able to describe appearance, personality, and emotions with ease. These French adjectives are essential for daily conversations, introductions, and storytelling.
If you liked this, check out more of our French vocabulary lists to keep expanding your skills step by step!