Mada za sehemu hiiDemonstrate mastery of grammar and basic vocabularyMada 6
- Use simple grammar and vocabulary to describe people orally and in writing
- Use simple grammar and vocabulary to describe objects orally and in writing
- Use simple grammar and vocabulary to describe places orally and in writing
- Use simple grammar and vocabulary orally and in writing to express the days of the week and the months of the year
- Use simple grammar and vocabulary to ask and tell the time
- Ask and tell the date
Describing People in French
In this lesson, you will learn how to describe people in French — both how they look (physical description) and what their personality is like (character description). This will help you talk about your friends, family, and classmates.
To ask how someone looks or what their personality is like, use these questions:
| Question | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Il est comment ? | How is he? / What is he like? |
| Elle est comment ? | How is she? / What is she like? |
| Qui est-ce ? | Who is it? |
Key Phrases
- Il est grand. — He is tall.
- Elle est petite. — She is short/small.
- Il est fort. — He is strong.
- Elle est belle. — She is beautiful.
Body Parts
| French | English |
|---|---|
| la tête | head |
| les cheveux | hair |
| les yeux | eyes |
| le nez | nose |
| la bouche | mouth |
| les oreilles | ears |
| le cou | neck |
Example: Describing Daudi
From the textbook, Daudi is described as:
"Daudi est un garçon de neuf ans. Il est petit et il a les cheveux courts. Il a de grands yeux comme son père."
This means: "Daudi is a boy of nine years old. He is small and he has short hair. He has big eyes like his father."
Talking About Clothes
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Il porte une chemise. | He wears a shirt. |
| Elle porte une robe. | She wears a dress. |
| des chaussures | shoes |
| un T-shirt | T-shirt |
| un pantalon | pants/trousers |
Example
"Il porte de belles chaussures noires." — He wears beautiful black shoes.
To describe someone's personality or character, use the same question: Il est comment ? or Elle est comment ?
Character Adjectives
| French | English |
|---|---|
| calme | calm |
| gentil / gentille | kind |
| aimable | friendly/pleasant |
| poli / polie | polite |
| agressif / agressive | aggressive |
| timide | shy |
| actif / active | active |
| méchant / méchante | mean/nasty |
| jeune | young |
| vieux / vieille | old |
Example from the Textbook
"Le père est aimable et gentil. La mère travaille beaucoup. Elle est active et aimable aussi. Les filles ne parlent pas beaucoup. Elles sont calmes. Les garçons sont agressifs."
Translation: "The father is kind and friendly. The mother works a lot. She is active and friendly too. The girls don't talk much. They are calm. The boys are aggressive."
In French, adjectives change their form to match the noun they describe.
Gender (Masculine / Feminine)
| Masculine | Feminine | English |
|---|---|---|
| grand | grande | tall |
| petit | petite | small |
| gentil | gentille | kind |
| poli | polie | polite |
| méchant | méchante | mean |
Number (Singular / Plural)
| Singular | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|
| Il est grand. | Ils sont grands. | They are tall. |
| Elle est petite. | Elles sont petites. | They are small. |
Examples from the Textbook
- Il est grand. → Ils sont grands.
- Elle est grande. → Elles sont grandes.
- Il est petit. → Ils sont petits.
- Elle est petite. → Elles sont petites.
Look at this description and fill in the blanks:
Il s'appelle Baraka. Il est __________ (tall). Il a les __________ (hair) noirs. Il __________ (wears) un short noir et une chemise __________ (white).
Answers: grand, cheveux, porte, blanche
| French Phrase | English Meaning |
|---|---|
| Il a les cheveux courts/longs. | He has short/long hair. |
| Elle porte une jupe bleue. | She wears a blue skirt. |
| Il est calme et gentil. | He is calm and kind. |
| Elle est timide. | She is shy. |
In Tanzania, you can use these French description skills when meeting French-speaking tourists at tourist sites like Serengeti or Zanzibar. For example, if a French tourist asks you to describe your friend or a local guide, you can say: "Il s'appelle Hamis. Il est grand et calme. Il porte une chemise blanche." This helps you communicate and assist visitors in French, which is useful for guiding, selling crafts, or working in tourism.
Swali
According to the dialogue, what color are the shoes that Bakari wears?
Ingia ili kuwasilisha jibu lako na lihesabiwe katika umahiri wako.
Ingia ili kufanya mazoeziMwalimu
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