Adjectives in French
An adjective is a word used to describe elements, people or things. There are many adjectives in the French vocabulary, which you should know in order to be able to express yourself correctly in any situation.
Here is a list of the most common French adjectives that you may come across or use in your reading or discussions with French speakers.
Common French Adjectives
Here is a list of essential adjectives to learn. This is the basic vocabulary to master.
- Bon : Good
- Super : Great
- Mauvais : Bad
- Meilleur (le) : Best (the)
- Nouveau : New
- Jeune : Young
- Vieux : Old
- Premier : First
- Dernier : Last
- Different : Different
- Identique : Same:
- Gentil : Nice
- Rempli : Full
- Vide : Empty
- Chaud : Hot
- Froid : Cold
- Haut : High
- Bas : Low
French adjectives describing an appearance
The following adjectives are used to provide additional information about the appearance of a person or thing.
- Petit/court : Short
- Grand : Tall
- Gros, grand : Big
- Large : Large
- Petit : Little
- Long : Long
- Mince : Slim
- Mince : Thin
- Doux : Soft
- Net : Sharp
French adjectives: feelings, states of mind and emotions
How do you say you are happy, sad, excited or angry? Remember the following 30 adjectives:
- Heureux : Happy
- Triste : Sad
- Inquiet : Worried
- Confiant : Confident
- Surpris : Surprised
- Déprimé : Depressed
- Ennuyé : Bored
- Enthousiaste : Enthusiastic
- En colère : Angry
- Bien : Well
- Beau : Beautiful
- Excité : Excited
- Investi : Empowered
- Calme : Calm
- Chanceux : Lucky
- Serein : Serene
- Étonné : Amazed
- Fatigué : Tired
- Blessé : Hurt
- Au bord des larmes : Tearful
- Énervé : Mad
- Malade : Sick
- En bonne santé : Healthy
- Ravi : Thrilled
- Fort : Strong
- Faible : Weak
- Heureux : Joyful
- Dégouté : disgusted
French adjectives: colors
Colors are also adjectives! Here are the main colors to know in French:
- Noir : Black
- Blanc : White
- Gris : Grey
- Bleu : Blue
- Vert : Green
- Rouge : Red
- Orange : Orange
- Jaune : Yellow
- Brun : Brown
- Rose : Pink
- Violet : Purple
- Argent : Silver
- Doré : Gold
This non-exhaustive list of adjectives will help you in many situations. However, if you find it difficult to memorize many vocabulary lists, try the Swiss French School method: based on repetition and oral practice, we teach our students French as a child learns his mother tongue! Discover our language learning method!