Physical appearance
Apparence physique
- Describe people's physical appearance
- Use adjectives to describe people.
- Adjectives: Agreement and position
Learn how to describe physical appearance in French with practical adjectives and grammar for beginners. This lesson covers hair types, facial features, adjective agreement, and placement, including example sentences and dialogues to build confidence.
Listening & reading materials
Practice vocabulary in context with real materials.
Vocabulary (19) Share Copied!
Exercises Share Copied!
These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.
Exercise 1: Reorder sentences
Instruction: Make correct sentences and translate.
Exercise 2: Match a word
Instruction: Match the translations
Exercise 3: Cluster the words
Instruction: Classify these words into two categories: those that describe hair types and those that describe general physical characteristics.
Types de cheveux
Caractéristiques physiques générales
Exercise 4: Translate and use in a sentence
Instruction: Pick a word, translated and use the word in a sentence or dialogue.
1
Grand
Tall
2
Gros
Large
3
Mettre
To put
4
Changer
To change
5
Blond
Blond
Exercice 5: Conversation exercise
Instruction:
- Describe the people and animals in the pictures. (Describe the people and animals in the pictures.)
- Describe the person sitting next to you. (Describe the person sitting next to you.)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
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La première femme a les cheveux blonds et courts. The first woman has short blond hair. |
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Il a les cheveux noirs et courts. Il se rase. He has short black hair. He shaves himself. |
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Le chien est très grand et mince. The dog is very tall and thin. |
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Claire est grande et a de longs cheveux blonds. Claire is tall and has long blond hair. |
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Il a les cheveux courts et foncés. He has short dark hair. |
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Il est très grand. He is very tall. |
| ... |
Exercise 6: Dialogue Cards
Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.
Exercise 7: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct solution
1. Ce monsieur ressemble beaucoup à son frère, il __ un visage carré.
(This gentleman looks a lot like his brother, he __ a square face.)2. Je change de style parce que je __ mes cheveux blonds.
(I change my style because I __ my hair blonde.)3. Tu ressembles à ta mère, tu __ les mêmes yeux verts.
(You look like your mother, you __ the same green eyes.)4. Ils croient que la nouvelle coiffure __ leur personnalité.
(They believe that the new hairstyle __ their personality.)Exercise 8: Describe the appearance of a new colleague
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Rencontrer - Meet
Présent
- je rencontre
- tu rencontres
- il/elle rencontre
- nous rencontrons
- vous rencontrez
- ils/elles rencontrent
Ressembler - Look
Présent
- je ressemble
- tu ressembles
- il/elle ressemble
- nous ressemblons
- vous ressemblez
- ils/elles ressemblent
Changer - Change
Présent
- je change
- tu changes
- il/elle change
- nous changeons
- vous changez
- ils/elles changent
Avoir - Have
Présent
- j'ai
- tu as
- il/elle a
- nous avons
- vous avez
- ils/elles ont
Croire - Believe
Présent
- je crois
- tu crois
- il/elle croit
- nous croyons
- vous croyez
- ils/elles croient
Aller - Go
Présent
- je vais
- tu vas
- il/elle va
- nous allons
- vous allez
- ils/elles vont
Exercise 9: Adjectifs: Accord et place
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: Adjectives: Agreement and position
Show translation Show answerspetits, grand, nouvelle, blond, rousses, vieilles, châtains, anciens
Grammar Share Copied!
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Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Ressembler to resemble Share Copied!
present
| French | English |
|---|---|
| (je/j') ressemble | I resemble |
| (tu) ressembles | You resemble |
| (il/elle/on) ressemble | he/she/one resembles |
| (nous) ressemblons | we resemble |
| (vous) ressembles | You resemble |
| (ils/elles) ressemblent | they resemble |
Changer to change Share Copied!
present
| French | English |
|---|---|
| (je/j') change | I change |
| (tu) changes | You change |
| (il/elle/on) change | he/she/one changes |
| (nous) changeons | we change |
| (vous) changez | You change |
| (ils/elles) changent | they change |
Croire to believe Share Copied!
present
| French | English |
|---|---|
| (je/j') je crois / j’ | I believe |
| tu crois | you believe |
| (il/elle/on) il croit / elle croit / on croit | (he believes / she believes / one believes) |
| nous croyons | we believe |
| vous croyez | You believe |
| (ils/elles) ils croient / elles croient | (they) they believe |
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Understanding and Describing Physical Appearance in French
This lesson introduces you to practical vocabulary and grammar related to describing physical appearance in French, aimed at A1 beginner learners. You will learn how to use basic adjectives to detail hairstyles, facial features, and general physical traits.
Key Vocabulary and Examples
Common adjectives include grand (tall), petit (short), mince (slim), and gros (big). For hair types and facial hair, terms like blond (blond), châtain (brown), barbe (beard), and moustache (mustache) are essential. Example sentences you will encounter include:
Elle a les cheveux blonds et longs.
Il est chauve et a une grosse moustache.
Grammar Focus: Adjective Agreement and Position
You will practice how to properly match adjectives with the noun's gender and number (accord) and learn where to place adjectives in a sentence. For instance, une vieille dame (an old lady) shows adjective placement before the noun, while une robe rouge places the adjective after.
Conversational Practice
Engage in dialogues themed around social situations such as describing people at a party or in public places. This helps you practice descriptive phrases and build confidence in real-life usage.
Additional Exercises
- Sorting vocabulary into categories (hair types vs. general body traits).
- Completing sentences to reinforce adjective usage.
- A short story about meeting a new colleague, focusing on descriptive language and key present tense verbs related to appearance.
Important Notes on French Versus English
Unlike English, French adjectives often change depending on gender and number (e.g., grand vs. grande). They can also either precede or follow the noun based on the type of adjective, which differs from the fixed adjective position in English. For example, "a beautiful dress" is une belle robe with the adjective before the noun, while "a red dress" is une robe rouge with the adjective after. Useful expressions include Il a les cheveux longs (He has long hair) and Elle est mince (She is slim), reflecting common descriptive phrases you can use immediately.
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