La Description Physique: Complete Guide to Describing People in French

Being able to describe someone's physical appearance is an essential skill in any language. Whether you're describing a friend, looking for a lost person, or simply talking about someone you met, knowing the right vocabulary and structures in French is crucial. From hair color to height, body type to facial features, this guide covers everything you need to describe people accurately and naturally.

This comprehensive guide will teach you all the vocabulary, phrases, and grammar you need for la description physique (physical description) in French. You will learn how to describe hair, eyes, height, body type, face, and distinctive features, as well as how to ask questions and use the right structures. By the end, you will be able to describe anyone with confidence.

1. Basic Vocabulary for Physical Description

Before we dive into detailed descriptions, let's learn the essential vocabulary you will need.

Gender and Agreement:

Remember that adjectives in French must agree with the gender and number of the person you are describing.

• Masculine singular: Il est grand. – He is tall.
• Feminine singular: Elle est grande. – She is tall.
• Masculine plural: Ils sont grands. – They are tall.
• Feminine plural: Elles sont grandes. – They are tall.

2. Height (La Taille)

Here are the adjectives used to describe a person's height.

General Height:

• grand / grande – tall
• petit / petite – short (small)
• de taille moyenne – average height
• moyen / moyenne – medium / average

Examples:

• Il est grand. – He is tall.
• Elle est petite. – She is short.
• Il est de taille moyenne. – He is of average height.

More Specific Height:

• Il mesure 1 mètre 80. – He is 1 meter 80 (about 5'11").
• Elle mesure 1 mètre 65. – She is 1 meter 65 (about 5'5").

Beginner Tip: The verb mesurer (to measure) is used to give exact height. 1 mètre 80 is pronounced un mètre quatre-vingts.

3. Body Type (La Corpulence)

These adjectives describe a person's build or body shape.

Build:

• mince – slim / thin
• maigre – skinny (can be negative)
• fin / fine – slender / slim
• élancé / élancée – slender / willowy
• rond / ronde – round / plump
• fort / forte – strong / stout
• gros / grosse – fat / big (can be negative)
• corpulent / corpulente – corpulent / heavyset
• athlétique – athletic
• musclé / musclée – muscular
• svelte – slender / slim (elegant)

Examples:

• Elle est mince. – She is slim.
• Il est musclé. – He is muscular.
• Il est corpulent. – He is heavyset.

Beginner Tip: Be careful with gros/grosse and maigre – these can be considered rude in some contexts. Rond/ronde and corpulent are often more polite.

4. Hair (Les Cheveux)

Hair is one of the most important features to describe. In French, les cheveux (hair) is masculine plural.

Hair Length:

• les cheveux courts – short hair
• les cheveux longs – long hair
• les cheveux mi-longs – medium-length hair

Examples:

• Elle a les cheveux longs. – She has long hair.
• Il a les cheveux courts. – He has short hair.

Hair Color:

• blond / blonde – blond(e)
• brun / brune – brown-haired / brunette
• châtain – chestnut brown (medium brown)
• noir / noire – black
• roux / rousse – red-haired
• gris / grise – gray
• blanc / blanche – white
• poivre et sel – salt and pepper

Examples:

• Elle a les cheveux blonds. – She has blond hair.
• Il a les cheveux bruns. – He has brown hair.
• Elle a les cheveux roux. – She has red hair.

Hair Texture:

• lisse – straight
• bouclé / bouclée – curly
• frisé / frisée – curly / frizzy
• ondulé / ondulée – wavy
• raide – straight / stiff
• épais / épaisse – thick
• fin / fine – fine / thin

Examples:

• Elle a les cheveux bouclés. – She has curly hair.
• Il a les cheveux raides. – He has straight hair.
• Elle a les cheveux fins. – She has fine hair.

Hair Style:

• une queue de cheval – ponytail
• une tresse – braid / plait
• un chignon – bun
• une coupe de cheveux – haircut
• une frange – bangs / fringe
• un dégradé – layered haircut

Examples:

• Elle porte une queue de cheval. – She wears a ponytail.
• Il a une frange. – He has bangs.

Baldness:

• chauve – bald
• Il est chauve. – He is bald.
• Il a une calvitie. – He is balding / has a bald spot.

Beginner Tip: In French, we say elle a les cheveux... (color) rather than using an adjective directly with the person. However, you can also say elle est blonde (she is blonde) for hair color.

5. Eyes (Les Yeux)

Les yeux (eyes) is masculine plural.

Eye Color:

• les yeux bleus – blue eyes
• les yeux verts – green eyes
• les yeux marron – brown eyes (invariable)
• les yeux noisette – hazel eyes
• les yeux noirs – black eyes
• les yeux gris – gray eyes
• les yeux clairs – light eyes
• les yeux foncés – dark eyes

Examples:

• Elle a les yeux bleus. – She has blue eyes.
• Il a les yeux marron. – He has brown eyes.
• Il a les yeux verts. – He has green eyes.

Eye Shape and Features:

• grands / grandes – big
• petits / petites – small
• en amande – almond-shaped
• ronds / rondes – round
• bridés / bridées – slanted / almond-shaped (often used for East Asian eyes)
• cernes / cernée – with dark circles under the eyes

Examples:

• Elle a de grands yeux. – She has big eyes.
• Il a les yeux en amande. – He has almond-shaped eyes.
• Elle a des cernes. – She has dark circles under her eyes.

Beginner Tip: Marron (brown) is invariable – it does not change for gender or number. Bleu, vert, gris, noir agree with the noun.

6. Face and Facial Features (Le Visage)

Here is vocabulary for describing the face and its features.

Face Shape:

• le visage – face
• rond / ronde – round
• ovale – oval
• carré / carrée – square
• long / longue – long
• effilé / effilée – pointed / tapered

Examples:

• Elle a un visage ovale. – She has an oval face.
• Il a un visage carré. – He has a square face.

Nose (Le Nez):

• le nez – nose
• un nez droit – straight nose
• un nez aquilin – aquiline / hooked nose
• un nez retroussé – turned-up nose
• un nez épaté – flat nose
• un gros nez – big nose
• un petit nez – small nose

Mouth and Lips (La Bouche et Les Lèvres):

• la bouche – mouth
• les lèvres (f pl) – lips
• des lèvres fines – thin lips
• des lèvres épaisses / pulpeuses – full / plump lips
• un sourire – smile
• un beau sourire – beautiful smile

Skin (La Peau):

• la peau – skin
• clair / claire – light / fair
• foncé / foncée – dark
• matte – matte / olive skin
• bronzé / bronzée – tanned
• pâle – pale
• frais / fraîche – fresh / youthful
• ridé / ridée – wrinkled
• la tache de rousseur – freckle
• les taches de rousseur – freckles

Examples:

• Elle a la peau claire. – She has fair skin.
• Il est bronzé. – He is tanned.
• Elle a des taches de rousseur. – She has freckles.

Other Facial Features:

• la barbe – beard
• la moustache – mustache
• le sourcil – eyebrow
• les sourcils (m pl) – eyebrows
• les cils (m pl) – eyelashes
• le menton – chin
• le front – forehead
• la joue – cheek
• les joues (f pl) – cheeks
• une fossette – dimple

Examples:

• Il a une barbe. – He has a beard.
• Elle a une fossette. – She has a dimple.
• Il a les sourcils épais. – He has thick eyebrows.

Beginner Tip: When describing someone's face, use avoir (to have) for most features: elle a les yeux bleus, il a une barbe.

7. Special Features and Distinguishing Marks

These features help make descriptions more precise.

• un tatouage – tattoo
• un piercing – piercing
• une cicatrice – scar
• une verrue – wart
• un grain de beauté – mole / beauty mark
• une lunette / des lunettes – glasses
• Il porte des lunettes. – He wears glasses.
• Elle porte des lentilles de contact. – She wears contact lenses.

Examples:

• Il a un tatouage sur le bras. – He has a tattoo on his arm.
• Elle a une cicatrice sur la joue. – She has a scar on her cheek.
• Il a un grain de beauté. – He has a mole.

8. Complete Example Descriptions

Here are full descriptions combining multiple features.

Example 1: Describing a Woman

Elle est grande et mince. Elle a les cheveux blonds, longs et bouclés. Elle a les yeux verts et la peau claire. Elle porte des lunettes et a un sourire charmant.

Translation: She is tall and slim. She has long, curly blond hair. She has green eyes and fair skin. She wears glasses and has a charming smile.

Example 2: Describing a Man

Il est de taille moyenne, un peu corpulent. Il a les cheveux courts et bruns. Il a les yeux marron et une barbe. Il a un tatouage sur le bras.

Translation: He is of average height, a bit heavyset. He has short brown hair. He has brown eyes and a beard. He has a tattoo on his arm.

Example 3: Describing a Child

Elle est petite et mince. Elle a les cheveux longs et raides, de couleur châtain. Elle a de grands yeux bleus et des taches de rousseur sur le nez. Elle est très mignonne.

Translation: She is small and slim. She has long, straight chestnut brown hair. She has big blue eyes and freckles on her nose. She is very cute.

Beginner Tip: When describing someone, start with general features (height, body type), then move to specific features (hair, eyes, face), and finish with distinguishing marks (tattoos, glasses, etc.).

9. Asking Questions About Physical Appearance

Here are some useful questions to ask about someone's physical appearance.

General Questions:

• Comment est-il / est-elle ? – What does he/she look like?
• À quoi ressemble-t-il / ressemble-t-elle ? – What does he/she look like?
• Il / Elle est comment ? – What is he/she like? (Can be physical or personality)

Specific Questions:

• Quel âge a-t-il / a-t-elle ? – How old is he/she?
• Quelle est sa taille ? – What is his/her height?
• Quelle couleur de cheveux a-t-il / a-t-elle ? – What color hair does he/she have?
• Quelle couleur d'yeux a-t-il / a-t-elle ? – What color eyes does he/she have?
• Est-il / Est-elle grand(e) ou petit(e) ? – Is he/she tall or short?
• A-t-il / A-t-elle une barbe ? – Does he have a beard?
• Porte-t-il / Porte-t-elle des lunettes ? – Does he/she wear glasses?

10. Common Mistakes to Avoid

Avoid these frequent errors with physical description:

• Forgetting adjective agreement: ❌ Elle est grand. → ✅ Elle est grande.
• Using the wrong verb for hair/eyes: ❌ Elle est les yeux bleus. → ✅ Elle a les yeux bleus. (Use avoir for features, être for general description.)
• Incorrect word order: ❌ Elle a cheveux blonds. → ✅ Elle a les cheveux blonds. (Always include the definite article les with cheveux and yeux.)
• Using the wrong gender with hair colors: ❌ Elle est blond. → ✅ Elle est blonde. (But with cheveux, it's les cheveux blonds.)
• Using marron with agreement: ❌ des yeux marrons → ✅ des yeux marron (Marron is invariable.)

11. Practice Exercises

Test your understanding with these exercises.

Exercise 1: Translate these sentences into French.

1. She is tall and slim.
2. He has short brown hair.
3. She has blue eyes.
4. He has a beard and a mustache.
5. She wears glasses.
6. He is bald.

Answers: 1. Elle est grande et mince. 2. Il a les cheveux courts et bruns. 3. Elle a les yeux bleus. 4. Il a une barbe et une moustache. 5. Elle porte des lunettes. 6. Il est chauve.

Exercise 2: Complete the descriptions with the correct form of the adjective.

1. Elle est ______ (blond).
2. Il a les cheveux ______ (noir).
3. Elle a les yeux ______ (vert).
4. Il est ______ (mince) et ______ (musclé).
5. Elle a la peau ______ (clair).

Answers: 1. blonde, 2. noirs, 3. verts, 4. mince / musclé, 5. claire

Exercise 3: Describe yourself or a friend in French using at least five features.

12. Memory Tricks and Mnemonics

Here are some simple memory aids to help you remember the vocabulary:

• "Avoir for features, Être for overall" – Use avoir for hair, eyes, and specific features. Use être for height, body type, and general description.
• "Les cheveux, les yeux – always with LES" – Always use the definite article with these plural nouns.
• "Marron never changes" – Brown is always marron, no agreement needed.
• "Châtain = chestnut" – Think of chestnuts to remember this hair color.

13. How to Practice Physical Description

Consistent practice is the key to mastering this vocabulary. Here are some effective strategies:

• Practice describing people you see in photos or magazines.
• Write descriptions of your family and friends.
• Play guessing games: describe a famous person and see if others can guess who it is.
• Watch French films and describe the characters.
• Use flashcards with pictures of people and their descriptions.

14. Cultural Note: Describing People in French Culture

Understanding the cultural context of describing people in France is important for social interactions.

Politeness Matters:

When describing someone in French, be mindful of your word choices. Words like gros/grosse (fat) and maigre (skinny) can be considered rude. Use rond/ronde, corpulent, mince, or svelte instead.

Compliments:

When complimenting someone's appearance, French speakers often use phrases like tu es très belle (you are very beautiful) or tu es beau (you are handsome). Compliments on specific features are also common: tu as de beaux yeux (you have beautiful eyes).

Fun Fact:

In France, it is common to use vous when first meeting someone, even when describing their appearance. Once you are familiar, you switch to tu.

Final Thoughts

Mastering physical description is an essential skill for everyday French conversation. Remember the key structures:

• Use être for general description: Il est grand.
• Use avoir for specific features: Elle a les yeux bleus.
• Make adjectives agree in gender and number.
• Remember that marron is invariable.

With consistent practice, you will soon be able to describe anyone with confidence and precision.

Ready to practice? Leave a comment below describing yourself or a friend in French using at least five different features. We will check your grammar and provide feedback to help you perfect your skills!

Example Description:

Je suis de taille moyenne et plutôt mince. J'ai les cheveux bruns, courts et raides. J'ai les yeux marron et je porte des lunettes. J'ai la peau claire et un petit grain de beauté sur la joue.

Now it's your turn! Share your description below and let us help you master la description physique.