To describe a person well in French, join your ideas instead of stacking them. Say who the person is, give two or three traits, and add one reason or example that shows the trait in action.
This skill appears in speaking tasks, in writing about a friend or relative, and in reading texts where people are introduced. It belongs to people and personal experiences, and it feeds straight into the other three lessons in this module.
Why does a list of adjectives sound weak?
A list such as Léa est grande. Elle est sportive. Elle est sympa. is correct, but each sentence stands alone.
The reader learns three facts and meets no person.
Two changes help. First, join traits with et and mais. Second, back a trait with a reason using parce que or qui.
The result is still simple French, and it reads as if someone really knows Léa.
How do I build a connected description?
- Name the person and the relationship. Ma cousine Léa, mon voisin, mon ami Karim.
- Give two traits in one sentence. Use et for two similar traits and mais for a contrast.
- Add a reason or an example. Parce qu’elle…, qui…, or a short second sentence that shows the trait.
- Add one physical detail with avoir. Elle a les cheveux bruns et les yeux verts. Use être for character and avoir for hair, eyes and age.
- Check agreement. Feminine and plural endings on adjectives, and the right possessive (ma, mon, mes).
Worked example
Task: describe a close friend.
Weak version: Léa est grande. Elle est sportive. Elle est sympa. Elle a les cheveux bruns.
Stronger version:
Ma cousine Léa est grande et sportive, mais elle n’est pas du tout timide parce qu’elle adore parler avec tout le monde. Elle a les cheveux bruns et les yeux verts. Quand elle rit, toute la classe sourit.
Step 1, relationship: Ma cousine Léa tells us who she is.
Step 2, traits: grande et sportive joins two traits, both feminine.
Step 3, contrast and reason: mais elle n’est pas du tout timide parce qu’elle adore parler gives a contrast and then a reason.
Step 4, physical detail: Elle a les cheveux bruns et les yeux verts uses avoir and the plural les cheveux.
Step 5, example: Quand elle rit, toute la classe sourit shows her personality instead of naming it.
What mistake should I watch for?
A common slip is to forget that adjectives and verbs follow different rules for people.
Mistaken answer: Ma sœur est petit. Elle est 14 ans.
The adjective does not agree with sœur, and age uses avoir, not être.
The correction is Ma sœur est petite. Elle a quatorze ans. Ask two questions about every sentence: who is this about (gender and number), and is it a trait (être) or something the person has (avoir)?
Check yourself
Try these on paper, then open each answer.
1. Join into one sentence: Mon frère est drôle. Mon frère est parfois impatient.
Show answer
Use mais for the contrast and a pronoun for the second mon frère: Mon frère est drôle, mais il est parfois impatient.
2. Correct the agreement: Ma cousine est intelligent et gentil.
Show answer
The subject is feminine, so both adjectives need the feminine form: Ma cousine est intelligente et gentille.
3. Add a reason to this sentence: Mon voisin est généreux.
Show answer
Any logical reason works. For example: Mon voisin est généreux parce qu’il prépare souvent des gâteaux pour tout le monde. The test is that parce que is followed by a subject and a verb.
Where does this lead next?
Once descriptions flow, move on to recounting a shared experience with clear time references, where you place the person in a real moment. The integrated practice for this module mixes all four skills.
Some students know the vocabulary and still sound flat when speaking. Our teachers work on that gap in online one-to-one French tuition.