These are the core phrases for talking about who you are. Learn the patterns, not just the individual words.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je m'appelle... | My name is... |
| J'ai (seize) ans | I am (sixteen) years old |
| Mon anniversaire est le (trois mai) | My birthday is (the third of May) |
| Je suis britannique / anglais(e) / gallois(e) / Ă©cossais(e) / irlandais(e) | I am British / English / Welsh / Scottish / Irish |
| J'habite Ă ... depuis... ans | I have lived in... for... years |
La description physique â Physical appearance
| Feature | French | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Height | grand(e) / petit(e) / de taille moyenne | Adjective agrees: une fille grande |
| Eye colour | les yeux bleus / marrons / verts / noisette / gris | marrons never adds -es (invariable when colour noun) |
| Hair colour | les cheveux blonds / bruns / noirs / roux / chĂątains / gris | chĂątains = chestnut brown |
| Hair length | courts / longs / mi-longs | Always plural: les cheveux |
| Hair texture | raides / bouclés / frisés / ondulés | raides = straight; frisés = curly/tight |
J'ai les yeux marrons et les cheveux bouclés et chùtains.
I have brown eyes and curly chestnut hair.
- marrons is invariable as a colour â it NEVER takes an -e or -s even with a feminine noun
- Two adjectives after les cheveux joined by et â both agree (plural): bouclĂ©s, chĂątains
La famille â Family vocabulary
| French | English |
|---|---|
| mes parents | my parents |
| mon pĂšre / ma mĂšre | my father / my mother |
| mon frĂšre / ma sĆur | my brother / my sister |
| mon demi-frĂšre / ma demi-sĆur | my half-brother / half-sister (or step-) |
| mon beau-pĂšre / ma belle-mĂšre | my stepfather / stepmother (or father/mother-in-law) |
| mon grand-pĂšre / ma grand-mĂšre | my grandfather / grandmother |
| mon oncle / ma tante | my uncle / my aunt |
| mon/ma petit(e) ami(e) | my boyfriend / girlfriend |
| mon meilleur ami / ma meilleure amie | my best friend (m/f) |
| mon copain / ma copine | my friend / mate (m/f) |
Le caractĂšre â Character adjectives
| Positive | Negative / Mixed |
|---|---|
| sympa(thique) â nice, friendly | Ă©nervant(e) â annoying |
| marrant(e) â funny | timide â shy |
| gentil / gentille â kind | paresseux / paresseuse â lazy |
| travailleur / travailleuse â hard-working | Ă©goĂŻste â selfish |
| sportif / sportive â sporty | bavard(e) â chatty, talkative |
| crĂ©atif / crĂ©ative â creative | strict(e) â strict |
| intelligent(e) â intelligent | impatient(e) â impatient |
Les relations â Talking about how you get on with people
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je m'entends bien avec... | I get on well with... |
| Je m'entends mal avec... | I don't get on with... |
| On se dispute souvent / rarement | We argue often / rarely |
| Il / Elle est trĂšs sympa avec moi | He / She is very nice to me |
| Nous avons beaucoup en commun | We have a lot in common |
| On se comprend bien | We understand each other well |
| Il / Elle me soutient toujours | He / She always supports me |
Je m'entends trĂšs bien avec ma sĆur parce qu'elle est sympa et marrante et on a beaucoup en commun.
I get on very well with my sister because she is nice and funny and we have a lot in common.
- Structure: relationship verb + person + parce que + character adjective(s) + evidence â this earns AO2 marks for developed communication
- sympa is invariable (it is a shortening of sympathique which is already the same for m/f)
- marrante agrees with elle (feminine) â adds -e
Ma meilleure amie, qui s'appelle Camille, est une personne sur qui je peux toujours compter. Bien qu'on se dispute de temps en temps, on se comprend vraiment bien.
My best friend, who is called Camille, is someone I can always count on. Although we argue from time to time, we really understand each other well.
- qui s'appelle â relative clause embedded in a noun phrase: earns AO3 complexity marks
- sur qui je peux toujours compter â relative clause with preposition: high-band construction
- Bien qu'on se dispute â concessive clause using bien que + subjunctive (dispute here is present subjunctive): top-band writing signal
â The Model Paragraph Formula
For any identity/relationship task: Name it â describe it â give your opinion â justify with reason. E.g.: J'ai une sĆur qui s'appelle LĂ©a. Elle est grande et a les cheveux roux. Je m'entends bien avec elle parce qu'elle est sympa et on a beaucoup en commun.
This deep dive covers Se dĂ©crire â Describing yourself within Identity and relationships with others for GCSE French. Revise Identity and relationships with others in Theme 1: People and Lifestyle for GCSE French with 15 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. This is a high-frequency topic, so it is worth revising until the explanation feels precise and repeatable. It is section 2 of 4 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Practice questions for Identity and relationships with others
What does 'le pĂšre' mean in English?
Which French word means 'sister'?