Me, My Family and Friends
Describing Physical Appearance
Adjectives and Noun Agreement
Adjectives describe a noun and must agree with the noun in both gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural).
General Rules:
For feminine nouns, add -e to the adjective.
For masculine plural nouns, add -s to the adjective.
For feminine plural nouns, add -es to the adjective.
Examples of Adjective Agreement
Masculine Singular | Feminine Singular | Masculine Plural | Feminine Plural | English |
petit | petite | petits | petites | small |
grand | grande | grands | grandes | big |
vert | verte | verts | vertes | green |
Using Intensifiers
Intensifiers adjust the intensity of an adjective and are placed before the adjective.
Common Intensifiers:
très – very
assez – quite
un peu – quite, a bit
extrêmement – extremely
Example Sentences:
Sa maison est très moderne. – His/Her house is very modern.
Je trouve les documentaires très intéressants. – I find documentaries very interesting.
L’eau est extrêmement froide. – The water is extremely cold.
Important Note
Even if an adjective is not directly next to the noun it describes, it must still agree with the noun in gender and number.
Irregular Adjectives
Invariable Adjectives:
Mince (thin) and raide (straight) are the same for both masculine and feminine forms.
Gender and Number Changes:
Adjectives like gros/grosse (fat), beau/belle (beautiful), and vieux/vieille (old) change based on gender and number.
Unchanging Adjectives:
Some adjectives don’t change at all, such as:
Marron - brown, used for eyes.
Noisette - hazel.
Describing Hair and Eyes
General Rule:
Adjectives agree with the feature being described (e.g., hair, eyes), not the person.
Examples for Eyes:
Ma sœur a les yeux bleus. (My sister has blue eyes.)
J’ai les yeux bleus/verts/gris/marron/noisette. (I have blue/green/grey/brown/hazel eyes.)
Examples for Hair:
J’ai les cheveux noirs et longs. (I have long, black hair.)
Mon ami a les cheveux mi-longs et ondulés. (My friend has medium-length, wavy hair.)
Ma grand-mère a les cheveux courts et gris. (My grandmother has short, grey hair.)
Colors with Clair and Foncé:
Colors do not change when used with clair (light) or foncé (dark):
J’ai les yeux bleu clair. (I have light blue eyes.)
J’ai les cheveux brun foncé. (I have dark brown hair.)
Other Useful Descriptive Vocabulary
Height:
Je suis grand(e)/petit(e)/de taille moyenne. (I am tall/short/medium height.)
Glasses:
Je porte des lunettes. (I wear glasses.)
Body Type:
Je suis gros(se)/mince. (I am fat/slim.)
Facial Hair:
Il a une barbe. (He has a beard.)
Attractiveness:
Il est beau/Elle est belle. (He/She is good-looking.)
Tu es joli(e)/laid(e). (You are pretty/ugly.)
Describing Relationships
Family Relationships
Expressing Relationships
Positive Relationships:
Je m’entends avec… – I get on with…
J’ai de bons rapports avec lui. – I have a good relationship with him.
Negative Relationships:
Je ne m’entends pas avec… – I don’t get on with…
J’ai un mauvais rapport avec elle. – I have a bad relationship with her.
Describing Family Members
Father:
Mon père est trop strict. – My dad is too strict.
Mother:
Ma mère est très compréhensive. – My mother is very understanding. (Higher only)
Sister:
Ma sœur est gentille. – My sister is friendly.
Brother:
Mon frère est hyper drôle. – My brother is funny.
Stepmother:
Ma belle-mère est incroyablement généreuse. – My stepmother is unbelievably generous.
Stepbrother:
Mon demi-frère est pénible. – My stepbrother is annoying.
Describing Yourself
Je suis assez paresseux. – I am quite lazy
Friendly Relationships
Male Friend:
Le copain / l’ami – Male friend
Female Friend:
La copine / l’amie – Female friend
Adjectives for Personality Traits
Positive Traits:
Gentil(le) / sympa – Nice/kind
Avoir le sens de l’humour – To have a sense of humor
Être fier/fière de – To be proud of
Compréhensif/compréhensive – Understanding
Avoir confiance en – To trust
Negative Traits:
Égoïste – Selfish
Méchant(e) – Naughty/mean
Être jaloux/jalouse de – To be jealous of
Énerver – To annoy/get on someone’s nerves
Phrases for Realization
Se rendre compte – To realize/to come to understand
Reading Practice
Passage
Ma meilleure copine s’appelle Sara. Elle n’est jamais égoïste et elle est souvent trop généreuse. Par exemple, l’année dernière, elle m’a donné des cadeaux incroyables pour mon anniversaire. Elle est vraiment gentille et elle a toujours le temps de m’écouter et de m’aider avec mes problèmes. On aime faire les mêmes choses. Par exemple, nous adorons jouer au hockey car nous sommes sportives. De plus, elle a un très bon sens de l’humour et on rit tout le temps quand on est ensemble. J’ai de la chance d’avoir une telle amie et je lui suis reconnaissante.
Questions and Answers
Is the following statement true or false?
The writer is called Sara.
Answer: False.
Explanation: The text says, Ma meilleure copine s’appelle Sara. which means "My best friend is called Sara."
Is the following statement true or false?
Her best friend can be selfish at times.
Answer: False.
Explanation: The text says, Elle n’est jamais égoïste. which means "She is never selfish."
Is the following statement true or false?
Last year, she got some great presents for her birthday from her friend.
Answer: True.
Explanation: The text says, L’année dernière, elle m’a donné des cadeaux incroyables pour mon anniversaire. which means "Last year, she gave me some incredible presents for my birthday."