Describing Family Members in French Using Adjectives

When learning to talk about family members in French, it’s important to know the names of your family and how to use describing words, called adjectives. In this article, we will look at the names of family members, some helpful adjectives, and how to make sentences that describe them.

Vocabulary for Family Members

First, let’s learn the names of some family members in French:

1. Mother - la mère
2. Father - le père
3. Brother - le frère
4. Sister - la soeur
5. Grandmother - la grand-mère
6. Grandfather - le grand-père
7. Uncle - l’oncle
8. Aunt - la tante
9. Cousin (male) - le cousin
10. Cousin (female) - la cousine

Each of these words has a special article that shows if it's a boy or girl.

Adjectives in French

Adjectives are words that describe nouns. They can tell us about age, size, color, and personality. When you describe family members, the adjectives must match the gender (boy or girl) and number (singular or plural) of the nouns.

Rules for Adjective Agreement

1. Gender Agreement: Adjectives need to match the gender of the noun. For example:

   • un frère gentil (a kind brother) - 'gentil' is for boys.
   • une soeur gentille (a kind sister) - 'gentille' is for girls.

2. Number Agreement: Adjectives must also match the number. For example:

   • deux frères gentils (two kind brothers) - 'gentils' is plural.
   • deux soeurs gentilles (two kind sisters) - 'gentilles' is plural.

Common Adjectives to Describe Family Members

Here are some adjectives you can use:

1. Kind - gentil/gentille
2. Funny - drôle
3. Tall - grand/grande
4. Short - petit/petite
5. Young - jeune
6. Old - vieux/vieille
7. Smart - intelligent/intelligente
8. Friendly - amical/amicale

Examples of Using Adjectives

Let’s see how to make sentences with these vocabulary words and grammar rules.

1. For describing your mother:

   • Ma mère est gentille. (My mother is kind.)
   • Ma mère est jeune et drôle. (My mother is young and funny.)

2. For describing your brother:

   • Mon frère est grand et intelligent. (My brother is tall and smart.)
   • Mon frère est petit mais très amiable. (My brother is short but very friendly.)

3. For describing your sister:

   • Ma soeur est vieille mais énergique. (My sister is old but energetic.)
   • Ma soeur est petite et drôle. (My sister is short and funny.)

Practice Activity

Now it’s your turn! Try to describe your family members using the names and adjectives you’ve learned. Write some sentences and remember to match your adjectives with the nouns in gender and number.

Example Sentence Construction

1. Describe your father:

   • Use the adjective gentil: Mon père est gentil.

2. Describe your grandmother:

   • Use the adjective vieux: Ma grand-mère est vieille.

By practicing this way, you will get better at using the words and making sentences in French. Happy studying!