Learning to express your emotions in French is a step toward fluency. There is a lot of vocabulary for sharing how you feel: Whether you’re excited, annoyed or just curious about how someone else is doing.<\/p>\n
The following words and phrases will add depth to your conversations. You’ll also pick up essential grammar rules, like how to make adjectives agree with their subjects.<\/p>\n
You can also learn more about expressing your feelings with the FluentU French YouTube video<\/a> below:<\/p>\n [fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Before we get started revealing how we really\u00a0<\/em>feel, there is one quick topic we need to touch on. You see, the main thing about adjectives (emotional ones included) is that they abide by subject-agreement rules. If you aren’t already familiar with the rules<\/a>, let’s do a brief\u00a0run-down:<\/p>\n Adjectives have four forms: masculine singular, feminine singular, masculine plural and feminine plural.<\/p>\n Depending on what your subject is, you may need to agree the ending of your adjective with it. When you’re done, everything should be matchy-matchy.<\/p>\n As an example, we’ll use the adjectives g\u00ean\u00e9\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>(embarrassed) and heureux<\/em>\u00a0<\/i><\/strong>(happy):<\/p>\n Masculine singular: Il<\/em> est g\u00ean\u00e9.<\/i><\/em> Masculine singular: Il est heureux<\/strong>. These are the most common endings you’ll see when dealing with our emotional adjectives, but there are more out there (of course). For a comprehensive guide on how to agree your adjectives, check out this post<\/a>.<\/p>\n Whether you’re seeing your friend is having a rough day, checking in on your French grandma or wanting to ask how someone is doing<\/a> in general, there is a phrase for each occasion:<\/p>\n Meaning:<\/strong> How are you?<\/p>\n Going from most formal on the left to least formal on the right<\/a>, you’ve likely heard these questions tossed around in most French language settings. It may not get you the most detailed response, but it’s a general way to ask how someone is doing.<\/p>\n Meaning:<\/strong>\u00a0What’s wrong?<\/p>\n Hopefully you don’t have to exercise this one too much. It’s best used when someone has that “look” on their face… or if they text you an alarming message.<\/p>\n Qu’est-ce que tu as ? <\/em>is another way to ask “What’s wrong?,” though it can put off a more aggressive tone like “What is wrong<\/em>\u00a0with you?” So use it with discretion.<\/p>\n Meaning:<\/strong> How are you feeling?<\/p>\n You may not come across this one unless you’re a doctor asking a patient, or a patient being asked by a doctor. Nevertheless, it’s good to know the context for this phrase and our favorite “feeling” verb sentir<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(to feel).<\/p>\n Meaning: <\/strong>Why are you sad?<\/p>\n If you’re a busybody, or just a well-meaning friend who wants to know more about people’s emotions, this is a good phrase to know. You can also use the formal sense and say:<\/p>\n Pourquoi \u00eates-vous ~ ?<\/em><\/p>\n Below, you’ll find two more examples of this structure in use.<\/p>\n Meaning:<\/strong> Why are you happy?<\/p>\n If you see someone looking very happy, you may want to use this one to encourage them to share some good news with you.<\/p>\n Note that contente <\/em>is the feminine singular form of content<\/em>. If you were talking to multiple people, you might ask:<\/p>\n Pourquoi \u00eates-vous contents\/contentes ? <\/em>(Why are you all happy?)<\/p>\n Here, the first option,\u00a0contents<\/em>, is the masculine plural form, and the second, contentes<\/em>,\u00a0is the feminine plural form.<\/p>\n Meaning:<\/strong> Why are you disappointed?<\/p>\n If someone is looking a little disheartened, you could ask them this question to find out how they are feeling.<\/p>\n Remember to use the correct gender form when using this phrase\u2014d\u00e9\u00e7u<\/em> is the masculine singular form and d\u00e9\u00e7ue<\/em> is the feminine singular form.<\/p>\n There are three main ways to express your emotions:<\/p>\n Meaning:<\/strong> I am…<\/p>\n This one is pretty straightforward, and lucky for you, common. Just insert your current emotion (make sure to agree it to your gender), and bam! You’ve just shared your feelings.<\/p>\n Meaning:<\/strong> I feel…<\/p>\n This is another common way to express how you’re feeling. Once again, you plug in your emotion after the phrase. If this looks funky to you, have no fear, it’s just a reflexive verb. (If you’re not there yet, then just concentrate on remembering the phrase for now.)<\/p>\n Meaning:<\/strong> I have…<\/p>\n Some emotions in French use a construction with\u00a0avoir<\/strong><\/em><\/a>\u00a0<\/em>instead of \u00eatre<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/i>You may have seen this before with J’ai faim<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(I’m hungry, or literally, I have hunger). Here are a few examples of this:<\/p>\n J’ai peur<\/strong> de quelque chose. J’ai mal<\/strong> \u00e0 la t\u00eate. J’ai honte<\/strong> de quelque chose. These adjectives (or states of being, in some cases) are pretty common. You’ll likely see them in your French studies on a regular basis, or at least feel them every now and then… unless you’re a robot. Get out of here if you’re a robot.<\/p>\n Meaning:\u00a0<\/strong>happy<\/p>\n Elle est heureuse<\/strong> d’avoir un nouveau chien. These two adjectives mean essentially the same thing, though\u00a0heureux<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>is generally considered to be a more intense expression of happiness than\u00a0content<\/strong>. Content<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>can also mean “satisfied.”<\/p>\n Meaning:<\/strong> <\/strong>sad<\/p>\n J’\u00e9tais triste<\/strong>\u00a0apr\u00e8s la fin de la s\u00e9rie. I’ll tell you what’s not sad\u2014this adjective is the same in both the masculine and feminine form, making it an easy one to remember.<\/p>\n Meaning:<\/strong> <\/strong>irritated<\/p>\n Jacques est \u00e9nerv\u00e9<\/strong>\u00a0parce que ses invit\u00e9s sont en retard. Whenever you feel like you’ve had enough, bring this one out. \u00c9nerver\u00a0<\/em>is also a verb, meaning “to annoy,” making \u00c7a m’\u00e9nerve !<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0<\/i>(That gets on my nerves)\u00a0another great way to express your irritation.<\/p>\n Meaning:<\/strong> <\/strong>rushed\/in a hurry<\/p>\n Je suis press\u00e9 <\/strong>! Le film commence bient\u00f4t ! While\u00a0press\u00e9<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>can also be used to describe a cold-pressed juice<\/a>, or un jus press\u00e9<\/strong>,\u00a0<\/em>it’s a common way the French express that they’re in a rush. You can also use C’est press\u00e9 !<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>to signify that something is urgent. Technically, I cheated here and this isn’t an emotion, but sometimes… hurried is about the only thing you’re feeling.<\/p>\n Meaning:<\/strong> <\/strong>angry<\/p>\n Je suis f\u00e2ch\u00e9e<\/strong> avec lui ! It’s really up to your personal preferences which one of these you want to go with. But, if you’d like to say that something is making you angry, use the construction mettre en col\u00e8re<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n You can use it like this: Tu me mets en col\u00e8re\u00a0<\/em>(You’re making me angry!). But for now, let’s keep our voices down.<\/p>\n Meaning:<\/strong> <\/strong>tired<\/p>\n Avant mes vacances, j’\u00e9tais trop fatigu\u00e9<\/strong>. You’ll use this one a lot as you spend late nights studying up on your French (right?). Think\u00a0of the English word “fatigued”\u00a0<\/em>and you’ll never forget it again!<\/p>\n Meaning:<\/strong> <\/strong>to be bored<\/p>\n Il y a rien \u00e0 faire. Je m’ennuie !<\/strong> This technically isn’t an adjective, but rather a pronominal\u00a0verb. If you’re familiar with the word “ennui”<\/a> to describe boredom in English, this is another easy one to commit to memory.<\/p>\n Meaning:<\/strong> <\/strong>busy<\/p>\n Je ne peux pas sortir samedi soir, je vais \u00eatre occup\u00e9e<\/strong>. While it’s not exactly an emotion (though it may crop up during emotional situations), it’s the best adjective to know for getting out of plans in order to stay home and watch French TV instead<\/a>. Bonus: Remember it by thinking of “occupied.”<\/p>\n Meaning:<\/strong> <\/strong>sorry\/distressed<\/p>\n Il \u00e9tait navr\u00e9<\/strong> apr\u00e8s avoir perdu ma voiture. You may know d\u00e9sol\u00e9<\/strong>\/d\u00e9sol\u00e9e<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>as the French word for sorry<\/a>, and you’re right in thinking that!\u00a0Navr\u00e9<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>is a more serious expression of regret and distress, whereas\u00a0d\u00e9sol\u00e9(e)<\/strong>\u00a0<\/i>is used on a day-to-day basis to apologize for things like bumping into someone’s shoulder or forgetting their name.<\/p>\n Meaning:<\/strong> <\/strong>exhausted<\/p>\n Il est \u00e9puis\u00e9<\/strong> par cette longue journ\u00e9e. \u00c9puis\u00e9:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/i>for when\u00a0fatigu\u00e9<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0won’t cut it. When talking about an item at a store, you can also use Important French Feelings Grammar<\/h2>\n
\n<\/i>Feminine singular: Elle est<\/i> g\u00ean\u00e9<\/em>e<\/em><\/strong>.<\/i>
\n<\/strong>Masculine plural: Ils sont g\u00ean\u00e9s<\/strong>.<\/em>
\nFeminine plural: Elles sont g\u00ean\u00e9es<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n
\n<\/em>Feminine singular: Elle est heureuse<\/strong>.<\/em>
\n<\/strong>Masculine plural: Ils sont heureux<\/strong>.
\n<\/em>Feminine plural: Elles sont heureuses<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\nPhrases to Ask How Someone is Feeling<\/h2>\n
1. Comment allez-vous ?<\/em> \/ Comment \u00e7a va ? \/ \u00c7a va ?<\/i><\/h3>\n
2. Qu’est-ce qu’il y a ?<\/em><\/h3>\n
3. Comment vous sentez-vous ?<\/em><\/h3>\n
4. Pourquoi es-tu triste ?<\/em><\/h3>\n
5. Pourquoi es-tu content \/ contente ? <\/em><\/h3>\n
6. Pourquoi es-tu d\u00e9\u00e7u \/ d\u00e9\u00e7ue ?\u00a0<\/em><\/h3>\n
Expressing Your Own Feelings<\/h2>\n
7. Je suis…<\/em><\/h3>\n
8. Je me sens…<\/em>
\n<\/strong><\/h3>\n9. J’ai…<\/em><\/h3>\n
\n<\/em>(I’m scared of something.)<\/p>\n
\n<\/em>(My head hurts.)<\/p>\n
\n<\/em>(I’m ashamed of something.)<\/p>\nEmotional Words<\/h2>\n
10. heureux\/heureuse <\/em>| content\/content<\/em>e<\/em><\/em><\/em><\/h3>\n
\n<\/em>(She is happy to have a new dog.)<\/p>\n11. triste<\/em><\/h3>\n
\n<\/em>(I was sad after the TV\u00a0series ended.)<\/p>\n12. \u00e9nerv\u00e9\/\u00e9nerv\u00e9e<\/em><\/h3>\n
\n<\/em>(Jacques is irritated because his guests are late.)<\/p>\n13. press\u00e9\/press\u00e9<\/em>e<\/em><\/em><\/h3>\n
\n<\/em>(I’m in a hurry! The\u00a0movie’s starting soon!)<\/p>\n14. f\u00e2ch\u00e9\/f\u00e2ch\u00e9<\/em>e<\/em> <\/em>|\u00a0en col\u00e8re <\/em><\/h3>\n
\n<\/em>(I’m angry with him!)<\/p>\n15. fatigu\u00e9\/fatigu\u00e9<\/em>e<\/em><\/em>\u00a0<\/em><\/h3>\n
\n<\/em>(Before my vacation, I was so tired).<\/p>\n16. s’ennuyer<\/em><\/h3>\n
\n<\/i>(There is nothing to do. I’m bored!)<\/p>\n17. occup\u00e9\/occup\u00e9e<\/em><\/h3>\n
\n<\/em>(I can’t go out Saturday night, I will be busy.)<\/p>\n18. navr\u00e9\/navr\u00e9e<\/em><\/h3>\n
\n<\/i>(He was sorry\/distressed after he lost my car).<\/p>\n19. \u00e9puis\u00e9\/\u00e9puis\u00e9<\/em>e<\/em><\/em><\/h3>\n
\n<\/em>(He is exhausted from this long day).<\/p>\n