Written by Gabriela Estrada

Who better than ourselves to find the words that define us?

If you're learning French, starting by describing yourself or talking about yourself will help you become more fluent in the language.  

In this blog post, I'll teach you 5 basic verbs for describing your emotions and your favorite things. Take note of each one and try to use them in your next conversation in French.

The 5 Essential Verbs to Describe Yourself

1. Être (To Be)

This is the most important verb in the French language. Although it is irregular, it is essential for talking about your identity, nationality, or emotional state. 

For example:

• I am French (I am French)
• I'm motivated today (I'm motivated today)

The word suis is the conjugated form of the verb être for the subject je (I). 

2. Avoir (To have)

The verb avoir is used to express age and various physical or emotional sensations.

For example:

• I'm twenty years old (I'm twenty years old)
• I'm hungry (I'm hungry)

As for its shape, we have to "ai" is the conjugation of the verb avoir for the first person ("I"). 

Like the pronoun je ends in a vowel and the verb ai begins with a vowel, they are joined by an apostrophe (J'ai), a phenomenon known as elision , which consists of omitting a vowel to prevent it from clashing with another when speaking (not to be confused with the liaison , which we’ll discuss shortly).

Every time you see J'ai at the beginning of a sentence, you know they’re saying “I have”—whether it’s your age or a feeling like hunger (J'ai faim) or fear (J'ai peur).

3. To Love (To like/To love)

This verb is used to express likes and passions, but it works in a way that often confuses Spanish speakers.

Unlike in Spanish—where we use "gustar" for things and "amar" or "querer" for people— in French, the same verb is used (aimer) for everything.

For example:

• I like sports (I like sports)
• I love my girlfriend (I love my girlfriend)

Note: If you want to say that you “like” something moderately (such as a meal or something fleeting) or that you like someone, you add the adverb bien (j'aime bien). But first, remember that "aimer" covers everything from your favorite hobbies to romantic love.

4. To feel (To feel)

It is a reflexive verb, which means that the action is directed back to the same person who performs it. It is used to describe how you are feeling physically or mentally.

For example:

• I feel good today (I feel good today)
• I feel tired (I feel tired)

5. Prefer (To prefer)

Useful for expressing your choices and priorities in everyday life or at work.

For example:

• I prefer to work in the morning (I prefer to work in the morning)

• I prefer coffee to tea (I prefer coffee to tea)

• We prefer to work in the morning (We prefer to work in the morning)

Note: Pay attention to the accents, since they move or change depending on who is conjugating the verb. As you can see, je préfère the little line of the accent tilts to the right (acute accent), but when it changes to nous préférons, the direction of the accent reverses to the left (grave accent)—a key detail to ensure the pronunciation doesn’t sound strange.

For practice at home

Use these 5 verbs to describe yourself in different situations. By incorporating them into your daily routine and reading the sentences aloud, you'll build muscle memory and strengthen your brain.

This is the key to stopping yourself from mentally translating from Spanish and thinking naturally in French.  

Do you want to learn more to improve your French? At Planeta Immiland Education, we can help you.

Learn with us

We are the first English and French language school focused on immigration to Canada. We offer online classes with flexible schedules. 

We are accredited by Languages Canada and our teachers are certified in the best teaching methods to help you improve your language skills while navigating your immigration process.

 We offer programs designed to support you at every stage of your journey:

• English and French courses.
• Preparation for international exams.
• Programs focused on academic and immigration goals.
• Conversation activities to build your confidence in real-life situations.

Visit our online academy and discover which program is right for you: https://www.planeta-immiland-education.com/

If you liked this article, share it with a friend who needs it to improve their French!

Remember: Describing yourself in French is a strategy that will help you build your vocabulary and advance to the next level.

See you in the next blog post, where we'll continue to explore how languages can open the door to new international experiences and opportunities!

With love,

Planeta Immiland Education