French Vocabulary: Character and Personality
Looking for French vocabulary for character and personality? This article has it and more.
Every individual has a unique personality. If you're eager to describe someone's personality and character using French, here are some words that you need to beef up your vocabulary.
The list below contains all the words and expressions you can use to describe someone and also to inject colorful descriptions in your speech.
These personality adjectives answer the question “what is he/she like?” and covers both good and bad personality traits.
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For other related articles, see:
A Complete and Easy Guide to French Adjectives
French Slang Terms to Describe People and Places
French Comparatives and Superlatives
120 Common French Adverbs to Add to Your Vocabulary
Now here's your list!
French Personality and Character Vocabulary
| Adjectifs qualificatifs | Descriptive Adjectives |
|---|---|
| amorphe | apathetic |
| antipathique | unlikeable |
| bourru(e) | rough |
| charismatique | charismatic |
| courageux(-se) | courageous |
| créatif(-ve) | creative |
| débrouillard(e) | resourceful |
| discret/discrète | discreet |
| énergique | energetic |
| enjoué(e) | playful |
| ennuyeux(-se) | boring/annoying |
| extraverti(e) | extrovert |
| fidèle | faithful |
| honnête | honest |
| impatient(e) | impatient |
| indiscret/indiscrète | indiscreet |
| infidèle | unfaithful |
| ingénieux(-se) | ingenious |
| introverti(e) | introvert |
| lâche | coward |
| loyal(e) | loyal |
| malhonnête | dishonest |
| mignon(ne) | cute |
| paresseux(-se) | lazy |
| patient(e) | patient |
| persévérant(e) | persevering |
| sérieux(-se) | serious |
| sociable | sociable |
| sympathique | likeable |
| taciturne | uncommunicative |
| travailleur(-se) | hard-working |
| Personnalité | Personality |
|---|---|
| avoir de la classe | classy |
| avoir le coeur sur la main | generous |
| avoir le sens de l’humour | have a sense of humour |
| bon vivant | happy-go-lucky |
| bon/mauvais caractère | good/bad disposition |
| de bonne/mauvaise humeur | in a good/bad mood |
| digne de foi | trustworthy |
| l’état d’esprit (m)temperament le tempérament | state of mind |
| la mentalité | mentality |
| le caractère/la disposition/la personnalité | character |
| le comportement | behavior |
| le/la risque-tout/casse-cou | daredevil |
| paranoïaque | paranoid |
| personnalité antisociale | antisocial personality |
Examples
Now let's take a look at some examples:
Il est très ouvert = He is outgoing.
C’est un élève studieux= He is a studious student.
Il est très taquin = He is very playful
Sample Dialogue
Le garçon : Tu as vu l'accident hier, à la télévision ? Les pompiers sont très courageux!
Boy: Have you seen the accident yesterday on television? Firemen are very brave!
La fille : Mon cousin est pompier. Il est sportif et fort.
Girl: My cousin is a fireman. He is athletic and strong.
Le garçon : Moi je suis trop faible et timide pour être un héro.
Boy: Me, I'm too weak and timid to be a hero.
La fille : Ne dis pas cela ! Tu es intelligent et drôle. Ce sont aussi des qualités de héro.
Girl: Don't say that! You're smart and funny. These are also qualities of hero.
Le garçon : Mais je ne suis pas naïf : jamais je ne serai Superman.
Boy: But I'm not naive: I will never be Superman.
La fille : Et tu es trop sérieux pour aller sauver le monde...
Girl: And you're too serious to go save the world ...
Le garçon : Je suis studieux, c'est différent !
Boy: I'm studious, it's different!
La fille : Je plaisante !
Girl: Just kidding!
Conclusion
Everyone has a unique mix of personality. To fully be able to describe someone's character in French, you need to know the right words such as the ones listed in this article.
If you want a lengthier version of this lesson complete with built-in audio for listening practice, grab your copy of My French Routine Volume 2 by clicking the image below!
About the Author Frederic Bibard
Frederic Bibard is the founder of Talk in French, a company that helps french learners to practice and improve their french. Macaron addict. Jacques Audiard fan. You can contact him on Twitter and Google +