Mastering French: Descriptions, Advice, and Past Tense Usage

Posted on Oct 31, 2025 in French

Describing People in French: Appearance and Profession

Using “Il/Elle est” and “C’est”

  • To describe someone physically, use Il/Elle est + adjective (e.g., Elle est mince – She is slim).
  • To state a profession, use Il est + profession (e.g., Il est chanteur – He is a singer).
  • Use C’est + article + noun or name (e.g., C’est un acteur – He is an actor / C’est Charlotte – It’s Charlotte).

Expressing Appearance and Look

Use Il/Elle a l’air + adjective to describe how someone looks:

  • Il/Elle a l’air sportif (He/She looks athletic)
  • Il/Elle a l’air timide (He/She looks shy)
  • Il/Elle a l’air fatigué (He/She looks tired)

Vocabulary for Physical Descriptions

Height (Taille)

  • petit(e) (short)
  • de taille moyenne (average height)
  • grand(e) (tall)

Build (Corpulence)

  • mince (slim)
  • gros(se) (big/fat)
  • fort(e) (strong)
  • maigre (skinny)

Eyes (Yeux)

  • les yeux bleus (blue eyes)
  • les yeux verts (green eyes)
  • les yeux noirs (black eyes)
  • les yeux marron (brown eyes)

Hair (Cheveux)

Colors:

  • blonds (blond)
  • bruns (brown)
  • noirs (black)
  • roux (red)
  • châtains (chestnut)

Length:

  • courts (short)
  • longs (long)
  • mi-longs (mid-length)

Texture:

  • raides (straight)
  • frisés (frizzy)
  • bouclés (curly)

Note on Adjective Agreement: Blond/blonde refers to hair color. Blanc/noir typically refers to skin color.

Expressing Family Resemblance in French

To express family resemblance, use these phrases:

  • Ils se ressemblent (They look alike)
  • comme deux gouttes d’eau (like two drops of water)
  • Elle a les yeux de son père (She has her father’s eyes)
  • Il a le sourire de sa mère (He has his mother’s smile)
  • Ils ont la même taille (They are the same height)

Celebrity Examples of Resemblance

  • David Hallyday: les yeux verts, cheveux blonds comme son père Johnny (green eyes, blond hair like his father).
  • Chiara Mastroianni: actrice, yeux marron, brune comme son père (actress, brown eyes, brunette like her dad).
  • Thomas Dutronc: chanteur, même sourire et regard que son père Jacques (singer, same smile and look as his dad).
  • Charlotte Gainsbourg: actrice et chanteuse, mince, cheveux châtains, timide comme sa mère Jane Birkin (actress and singer, slim, chestnut hair, shy like her mother).

Useful Vocabulary for Personality and Appearance

  • sportif(ve) (sporty)
  • timide (shy)
  • distingué(e) (elegant)
  • fatigué(e) (tired)
  • mince (slim)
  • fort(e) (strong)
  • maigre (skinny)
  • gros(se) (big/fat)

French Grammar Essentials: Advice and Past Events

Giving Advice (Donner des conseils)

Use these expressions to give advice in French:

  • Il faut (You must / It is necessary)
  • Tu dois (You have to / You must)
  • Je te conseille de… (I advise you to…)
  • Ce n’est pas une bonne idée de… (It’s not a good idea to…)
  • Pourquoi tu ne… pas ? (Why don’t you…?)
  • Essaie de… (Try to…)

Talking About Past Events (Évoquer des faits passés)

Use the Passé Composé tense: Auxiliary verb avoir (or sometimes être) + past participle.

  • Example 1: J’ai visité Paris (I visited Paris)
  • Example 2: Il a regardé un film (He watched a movie)

Common Time Markers for the Past

  • hier (yesterday)
  • la semaine dernière (last week)
  • ce matin (this morning)
  • en 2009 (in 2009)

Quick Recap: Describing People Physically

To describe someone physically (Décrire physiquement une personne), remember these structures:

  • Use Il/Elle est + adjective (e.g., Elle est grande – She is tall).
  • Use C’est + noun (e.g., C’est un chanteur – He’s a singer).
  • Use Il/Elle a les cheveux… (blonds, longs, bouclés) or les yeux… (verts, marron).

To express resemblance, say Ils se ressemblent comme deux gouttes d’eau (They look alike like two drops of water) or Elle a les yeux de sa mère (She has her mother’s eyes).

French Cultural History: Music and Cinema

To discuss French cultural history, know key figures in music and film:

Iconic Figures in French Arts

  • Singers: Edith Piaf and Claude François.
  • Actors/Directors: Jean Gabin and Luc Besson.

Evolution of French Arts

The section traces how French music evolved (from chanson to rap) and how French cinema moved from classic black-and-white films to modern blockbusters.

Useful Terms for Cultural Discussion

  • la musique française (French music)
  • le cinéma (cinema)
  • les années 60 (the 60s)
  • un film culte (a cult film)