{"id":63,"date":"2026-09-30T14:54:30","date_gmt":"2026-09-30T13:54:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leweb2ks.dev\/vitrine-vocadial\/en\/resources\/emotions-in-french\/"},"modified":"2026-09-30T14:54:30","modified_gmt":"2026-09-30T13:54:30","slug":"emotions-in-french","status":"publish","type":"vd_ressource","link":"https:\/\/vocadial.com\/en\/resources\/emotions-in-french\/","title":{"rendered":"Emotions in French: \u00e7a va, feelings and agreement"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"asking-and-answering-how-are-you\">Asking and answering &#8220;How are you?&#8221;<\/h2>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">\u00c7a va ?<\/span>: How are things? (informal, the most common)<\/li><li><span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">Comment \u00e7a va ?<\/span>: How&#8217;s it going?<\/li><li><span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">Comment vas-tu ?<\/span> or <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">Tu vas bien ?<\/span>: How are you? (to a friend)<\/li><li><span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">Comment allez-vous ?<\/span>: How are you? (formal, or to several people)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The answers form a scale:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">\u00c7a va tr\u00e8s bien !<\/span>: very well<\/li><li><span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">\u00c7a va bien.<\/span> or <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">Je vais bien.<\/span>: fine<\/li><li><span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">Pas mal.<\/span>: not bad<\/li><li><span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">Bof.<\/span> or <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">Comme ci, comme \u00e7a.<\/span>: so-so<\/li><li><span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">Pas terrible.<\/span>: not great<\/li><li><span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">\u00c7a ne va pas.<\/span>: I&#8217;m not OK (informally, <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">\u00e7a va pas<\/span>)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then: <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">Et toi ?<\/span> or <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">Et vous ?<\/span> As with &#8220;How are you?&#8221; in English, <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">\u00c7a va ?<\/span> is often just a greeting, and the expected answer is <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">\u00c7a va, et toi ?<\/span><\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"adjectives-of-feeling\">Adjectives of feeling<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The last column shows whether you can <strong>hear<\/strong> the difference between the masculine and feminine. This matters: in speech, pupils often cannot tell whether an adjective has agreed.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table vocab say-fr\"><table><thead><tr><th>Masculine<\/th><th>Feminine<\/th><th>English<\/th><th>Audible difference?<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>content<\/td><td>contente<\/td><td>happy, pleased<\/td><td>yes<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>heureux<\/td><td>heureuse<\/td><td>happy<\/td><td>yes<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>triste<\/td><td>triste<\/td><td>sad<\/td><td>same word<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>fatigu\u00e9<\/td><td>fatigu\u00e9e<\/td><td>tired<\/td><td>no<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>en col\u00e8re<\/td><td>en col\u00e8re<\/td><td>angry<\/td><td>same words<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>f\u00e2ch\u00e9<\/td><td>f\u00e2ch\u00e9e<\/td><td>cross<\/td><td>no<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\u00e9nerv\u00e9<\/td><td>\u00e9nerv\u00e9e<\/td><td>annoyed<\/td><td>no<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>nerveux<\/td><td>nerveuse<\/td><td>nervous<\/td><td>yes<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>stress\u00e9<\/td><td>stress\u00e9e<\/td><td>stressed<\/td><td>no<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>inquiet<\/td><td>inqui\u00e8te<\/td><td>worried<\/td><td>yes<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>calme<\/td><td>calme<\/td><td>calm<\/td><td>same word<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>surpris<\/td><td>surprise<\/td><td>surprised<\/td><td>yes<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>d\u00e9\u00e7u<\/td><td>d\u00e9\u00e7ue<\/td><td>disappointed<\/td><td>no<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>fier<\/td><td>fi\u00e8re<\/td><td>proud<\/td><td>no<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>jaloux<\/td><td>jalouse<\/td><td>jealous<\/td><td>yes<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>malade<\/td><td>malade<\/td><td>ill<\/td><td>same word<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>timide<\/td><td>timide<\/td><td>shy<\/td><td>same word<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pronunciation: the eu of <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">heureux<\/span> and <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">nerveux<\/span> is the vowel of British &#8220;fur&#8221; with rounded lips. In <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">content<\/span>, the masculine ends on a nasal vowel; the feminine <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">contente<\/span> ends with a clear t. The same happens with <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">surpris<\/span> and <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">surprise<\/span> (a z sound at the end).<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"agreement-rules\">Agreement rules<\/h2>\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list rules-list\"><li><strong>Most adjectives add -e.<\/strong> <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">content<\/span>, <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">contente<\/span>; <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">fatigu\u00e9<\/span>, <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">fatigu\u00e9e<\/span>. Sometimes you hear it, sometimes you only see it.<\/li><li><strong>Some endings change.<\/strong> -eux becomes -euse (<span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">heureuse<\/span>), -oux becomes -ouse (<span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">jalouse<\/span>), -et becomes -\u00e8te (<span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">inqui\u00e8te<\/span>), -er becomes -\u00e8re (<span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">fi\u00e8re<\/span>).<\/li><li><strong>Adjectives ending in -e don&#8217;t change.<\/strong> <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">triste<\/span>, <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">calme<\/span>, <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">malade<\/span>, <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">timide<\/span>. <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">En col\u00e8re<\/span> doesn&#8217;t change either.<\/li><li><strong>Plurals add -s<\/strong>, except after -x: <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">contents<\/span>, <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">fatigu\u00e9es<\/span>, but <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">heureux<\/span>, <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">jaloux<\/span>. A mixed group takes the masculine: <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">Nous sommes contents.<\/span><\/li><li><strong><span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">Vous<\/span> agrees with the real person.<\/strong> To one woman, formally: <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">Vous \u00eates fatigu\u00e9e, madame ?<\/span><\/li><\/ol>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"etre-avoir-and-se-sentir\">\u00catre, avoir and se sentir<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most feelings take <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">\u00eatre<\/span>. But several common ones use <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">avoir<\/span> + noun, where English uses &#8220;be&#8221;:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">j&#8217;ai peur<\/span>: I&#8217;m scared<\/li><li><span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">j&#8217;ai honte<\/span>: I&#8217;m ashamed<\/li><li><span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">j&#8217;ai faim<\/span>, <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">j&#8217;ai soif<\/span>, <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">j&#8217;ai sommeil<\/span>: I&#8217;m hungry, thirsty, sleepy<\/li><li><span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">j&#8217;ai chaud<\/span>, <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">j&#8217;ai froid<\/span>: I&#8217;m hot, cold<\/li><li><span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">j&#8217;ai h\u00e2te<\/span>: I can&#8217;t wait<\/li><li><span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">j&#8217;ai le trac<\/span>: I&#8217;ve got stage fright<\/li><\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Others use <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">se sentir<\/span>: <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">je me sens seul<\/span>, <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">je me sens mieux<\/span>. And &#8220;I&#8217;m bored&#8221; is a reflexive verb: <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">je m&#8217;ennuie<\/span>. Mood is <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">\u00eatre de bonne humeur<\/span> or <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">de mauvaise humeur<\/span> (to be in a good or bad mood); <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">humeur<\/span> is feminine, so the adjective is always <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">bonne<\/span>, whoever is speaking.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"example wp-block-paragraph\"><span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">Je suis contente parce que c&#8217;est vendredi.<\/span><small>I&#8217;m happy because it&#8217;s Friday. (said by a girl)<\/small><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"example wp-block-paragraph\"><span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">Mon fr\u00e8re est en col\u00e8re contre moi.<\/span><small>My brother is angry with me.<\/small><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"example wp-block-paragraph\"><span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">Je m&#8217;ennuie en maths.<\/span><small>I&#8217;m bored in maths.<\/small><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"example wp-block-paragraph\"><span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">J&#8217;ai peur des araign\u00e9es.<\/span><small>I&#8217;m scared of spiders.<\/small><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"note wp-block-paragraph\">Watch out for false friends. <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">Je suis excit\u00e9(e)<\/span> can sound sexual, or mean &#8220;hyper&#8221;: for &#8220;I&#8217;m excited&#8221;, teach <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">j&#8217;ai h\u00e2te<\/span>, <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">je suis impatient(e)<\/span> or <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">je suis ravi(e)<\/span>. <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">Je suis ennuy\u00e9(e)<\/span> means &#8220;I&#8217;m bothered&#8221;, not bored, and <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">je suis ennuyeux<\/span> means &#8220;I&#8217;m boring&#8221;. <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">\u00c9nerv\u00e9<\/span> means annoyed, not nervous.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Informal and regional: <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">j&#8217;en ai marre<\/span> (I&#8217;m fed up) is heard everywhere; in Quebec, &#8220;fed up&#8221; is often <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">je suis tann\u00e9(e)<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"typical-mistakes-of-english-speaking-learners\">Typical mistakes of English-speaking learners<\/h2>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>&#8220;Je suis bien&#8221; for &#8220;I&#8217;m fine&#8221;:<\/strong> it means &#8220;I&#8217;m comfortable&#8221;. Use <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">\u00e7a va bien<\/span> or <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">je vais bien<\/span>.<\/li><li><strong>&#8220;Je suis bon&#8221; for &#8220;I&#8217;m good&#8221;:<\/strong> wrong in this sense. Again, <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">\u00e7a va bien<\/span>.<\/li><li><strong>\u00catre instead of avoir:<\/strong> &#8220;je suis peur&#8221;, &#8220;je suis faim&#8221;.<\/li><li><strong>Forgotten agreement:<\/strong> a girl writing &#8220;je suis fatigu\u00e9&#8221;, or saying &#8220;je suis content&#8221; without the t.<\/li><li><strong>&#8220;Comment es-tu ?&#8221;:<\/strong> this means &#8220;What are you like?&#8221;, not &#8220;How are you?&#8221;<\/li><li><strong>&#8220;Je suis ennuy\u00e9&#8221;<\/strong> for &#8220;I&#8217;m bored&#8221;: use <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">je m&#8217;ennuie<\/span>.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"in-class-a-feelings-check-in\">In class: a feelings check-in<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A daily check-in recycles <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">\u00eatre<\/span>, <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">avoir<\/span> and agreement in one minute, and gives pupils language they actually want to use.<\/p>\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list steps-list\"><li>Show a face on the board, for example a proud-looking face.<\/li><li>Ask <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">Comment il se sent ?<\/span> or <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">Comment elle se sent ?<\/span><\/li><li>The class answers: <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">Il est fier.<\/span> or <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">Elle est fi\u00e8re.<\/span><\/li><li>Reveal both forms, masculine and feminine. Pick pairs with an audible difference (<span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">content<\/span>, <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">contente<\/span>) to train the ear.<\/li><li>Turn it round: <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">Et toi, \u00e7a va ?<\/span> A few pupils answer with the right ending and a reason.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is exactly what a daily routine does: the same structure every day, with enough variety to stay interesting.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Remember that feelings are personal. Always allow a neutral answer, and never press a pupil to share their real mood.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Other activities: emotion mime, &#8220;how would you feel if\u2026&#8221; cards (<span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">Si je perds mon portable, je suis\u2026<\/span>), and listening games where pupils decide whether the speaker is a boy or a girl from <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">heureux<\/span> or <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">heureuse<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Adapting to your class<\/h3>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list levels-list\"><li><b>A1<\/b>One phrase: <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">\u00c7a va bien.<\/span> <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">Je suis fatigu\u00e9(e).<\/span><\/li><li><b>A2<\/b>Add a reason: <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">Je suis content(e) parce qu&#8217;il fait beau.<\/span><\/li><li><b>B1<\/b>Past and change: <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">Hier, j&#8217;\u00e9tais stress\u00e9(e), mais aujourd&#8217;hui je suis calme.<\/span><\/li><li><b>B2<\/b>Feelings with the subjunctive: <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">Je suis content(e) que tu sois l\u00e0.<\/span> <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">J&#8217;ai peur qu&#8217;il pleuve.<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At KS2, faces and <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">\u00e7a va<\/span> are enough. At KS3, work on agreement and the <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">avoir<\/span> expressions. At GCSE, feelings are part of every theme: <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">Je suis stress\u00e9(e) \u00e0 cause des examens.<\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u00c7a va ? Je suis content, je suis contente: emotion adjectives, spoken and silent agreement, avoir peur, and false friends.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"menu_order":8,"template":"","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"Emotions in French: Feelings and Agreement | VocaDial","_seopress_titles_desc":"How to say how you feel in French: Comment \u00e7a va ?, content or contente, \u00eatre or avoir, false friends like excit\u00e9, and a daily feelings check-in.","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","_seopress_news_disabled":"","_seopress_video_disabled":"","_seopress_video":[],"_seopress_pro_schemas_manual":[],"_seopress_pro_rich_snippets_disable_all":"","_seopress_pro_rich_snippets_disable":[],"_seopress_pro_schemas":[],"_vd_topic":"emotions","_vd_target":"fr","_vd_module":"emociones","_vd_level":"A1","_vd_minutes":"7","_vd_card_word":"content\u2026","_vd_answer":"To ask how someone is in French, say <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">Comment \u00e7a va ?<\/span> or <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">\u00c7a va ?<\/span> (informal), or <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">Comment allez-vous ?<\/span> (formal). To describe a feeling, use <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">je suis<\/span> + an adjective that agrees with the speaker: <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">je suis content<\/span> (boy), <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">je suis contente<\/span> (girl). Some feelings use <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">avoir<\/span>: <span class=\"tl\" lang=\"fr\">j'ai peur<\/span> (I'm scared).","_vd_faq":"[{\"q\":\"How do you say \\\"How are you?\\\" in French?\",\"a\":\"<span class=\\\"tl\\\" lang=\\\"fr\\\">\u00c7a va ?<\\\/span> or <span class=\\\"tl\\\" lang=\\\"fr\\\">Comment \u00e7a va ?<\\\/span> informally, <span class=\\\"tl\\\" lang=\\\"fr\\\">Comment allez-vous ?<\\\/span> formally.\"},{\"q\":\"How do you say \\\"I'm happy\\\" in French?\",\"a\":\"<span class=\\\"tl\\\" lang=\\\"fr\\\">Je suis content<\\\/span> (boy) or <span class=\\\"tl\\\" lang=\\\"fr\\\">je suis contente<\\\/span> (girl); also <span class=\\\"tl\\\" lang=\\\"fr\\\">je suis heureux<\\\/span> \\\/ <span class=\\\"tl\\\" lang=\\\"fr\\\">heureuse<\\\/span>, which is stronger.\"},{\"q\":\"How do you say \\\"I'm good\\\" or \\\"I'm fine\\\" in French?\",\"a\":\"<span class=\\\"tl\\\" lang=\\\"fr\\\">\u00c7a va bien<\\\/span> or <span class=\\\"tl\\\" lang=\\\"fr\\\">je vais bien<\\\/span>. \\\"Je suis bien\\\" means \\\"I'm comfortable\\\" and \\\"je suis bon\\\" is wrong here.\"},{\"q\":\"How do you say \\\"I'm bored\\\" in French?\",\"a\":\"<span class=\\\"tl\\\" lang=\\\"fr\\\">Je m'ennuie<\\\/span>. \\\"Je suis ennuy\u00e9\\\" means \\\"I'm bothered\\\", and \\\"je suis ennuyeux\\\" means \\\"I'm boring\\\".\"},{\"q\":\"How do you say \\\"I'm excited\\\" in French?\",\"a\":\"<span class=\\\"tl\\\" lang=\\\"fr\\\">J'ai h\u00e2te !<\\\/span> (I can't wait), <span class=\\\"tl\\\" lang=\\\"fr\\\">je suis impatient(e)<\\\/span> or <span class=\\\"tl\\\" lang=\\\"fr\\\">je suis ravi(e)<\\\/span>. <span class=\\\"tl\\\" lang=\\\"fr\\\">Je suis excit\u00e9(e)<\\\/span> can sound sexual or mean \\\"hyper\\\".\"}]","_vd_key":"emotions-fr","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-63","vd_ressource","type-vd_ressource","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vocadial.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/vd_ressource\/63","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vocadial.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/vd_ressource"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vocadial.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/vd_ressource"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vocadial.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/vd_ressource\/63\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vocadial.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=63"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}