Emotion & Characteristic Vocabulary in French

Express yourself with confidence using Emotion & Characteristic Vocabulary in French. Learn essential words for feelings, personality traits, and moods to describe emotions naturally and clearly in everyday situations.

Knowing how to describe emotions, facial expressions, movements, and personality traits helps you communicate more vividly in French. GuruLango reinforces these essential terms with its Spaced Repetition method, ensuring long-lasting memorization and confident usage.

Below is a curated sample from the Emotion & Characteristic in French vocabulary set.

1. Body Movement

A concise list of French words describing common physical actions.

French Vocabulary

IPA (French)

English Meaning

marcher

maʁʃe

to walk

courir

kuʁiʁ

to run

sauter

sote

to jump

se tourner

sə tuʁne

to turn

s’asseoir

saswaʁ

to sit

se lever

sə ləve

to stand up

applaudir

aplodiʁ

to clap

taper

tape

to hit

bouger

buʒe

to move

lever la main

ləve la mɛ̃

to raise a hand

pointer

pwɛ̃te

to point

2. Facial Expression

Words used to describe how emotions appear on someone’s face.

French Vocabulary

IPA (French)

English Meaning

sourire

suʁiʁ

to smile

rire

ʁiʁ

to laugh

froncer les sourcils

fʁɔ̃se le suʁsil

to frown

pleurer

plœʁe

to cry

grimacer

ɡʁimasɛ

to make a face

rougir

ʁuʒiʁ

to blush

pâlir

paliʁ

to turn pale

ouvrir grand les yeux

uvʁi ɡʁɑ̃ le zjø

to widen eyes

hausser les épaules

ose le zepol

to shrug

faire une tête surprise

fɛʁ yn tɛt syʁpʁiz

to look surprised

3. Positive Emotion

A list of vocabulary describing positive emotional states.

French Vocabulary

IPA (French)

English Meaning

heureux

øʁø

happy

joyeux

ʒwajø

joyful

excité

eksite

excited

satisfait

satisfɛ

satisfied

calmé

kalme

calm

serein

səʁɛ̃

serene

enthousiaste

ɑ̃tuzjast

enthusiastic

reconnaissant

ʁəkɔnɛsɑ̃

grateful

confiant

kɔ̃fjɑ̃

confident

amusé

amyze

amused

inspiré

ɛ̃spiʁe

inspired

4. Negative Emotion

Vocabulary describing difficult emotional states.

French Vocabulary

IPA (French)

English Meaning

triste

tʁist

sad

fâché

faʃe

angry

frustré

fʁystʁe

frustrated

inquiet

ɛ̃kjɛ

worried

stressé

stʁese

stressed

déçu

desy

disappointed

effrayé

efʁaje

scared

nerveux

nɛʁvø

nervous

honteux

ɔ̃tø

ashamed

épuisé

eɥize

exhausted

choqué

ʃoke

shocked

5. Perception Verb

Common French verbs related to perception.

French Vocabulary

IPA (French)

English Meaning

voir

vwaʁ

to see

regarder

ʁəɡaʁde

to look at

entendre

ɑ̃tɑ̃dʁ

to hear

écouter

ekute

to listen

sentir

sɑ̃tiʁ

to feel / smell

toucher

tuʃe

to touch

remarquer

ʁəmaʁke

to notice

observer

ɔbsɛʁve

to observe

percevoir

pɛʁsəvwaʁ

to perceive

goûter

ɡute

to taste

6. Positive Characteristic

A set of words describing positive personality traits.

French Vocabulary

IPA (French)

English Meaning

gentil

ʒɑ̃ti

kind

honnête

ɔnɛt

honest

généreux

ʒeneʁø

generous

courageux

kuʁaʒø

brave

patient

pasjɑ̃

patient

poli

pɔli

polite

travailleur

tʁavajœʁ

hardworking

créatif

kʁeat if

creative

optimiste

ɔptimist

optimistic

fiable

fjabl

reliable

responsable

ʁɛspɔ̃sabl

responsible

7. Negative Characteristic

A list of vocabulary for describing negative characteristics.

French Vocabulary

IPA (French)

English Meaning

égoïste

eɡoist

selfish

impatient

ɛ̃pasjɑ̃

impatient

paresseux

paʁesø

lazy

têtu

tety

stubborn

jaloux

ʒalu

jealous

agressif

aɡʁesif

aggressive

distrait

distʁɛ

distracted

pessimiste

pesimist

pessimistic

irresponsable

iʁɛspɔ̃sabl

irresponsible

naïf

naif

naive

désordonné

dezɔʁdone

messy

These vocabulary lists make it easier to express emotions, describe personality traits, and talk about gestures or expressions in natural French. With GuruLango’s Spaced Repetition approach, you’ll memorize them efficiently and use them with confidence in conversation.

Continue learning with GuruLango and express feelings and traits in French with clarity and depth!