Identity and relationships — la famille et les amis
This topic asks you to describe yourself and the people in your life: family, friends, romantic partners, and the personalities behind them. AQA examiners want lively, idiomatic French — not just "j'ai un frère et une sœur".
Core vocabulary — family
| English | French | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| family | la famille | always feminine |
| father / mother | le père / la mère | mon père, ma mère |
| brother / sister | le frère / la sœur | sœur uses œ ligature |
| half-brother | le demi-frère | hyphenated |
| stepfather | le beau-père | also "father-in-law" |
| stepmother | la belle-mère | also "mother-in-law" |
| only child | un enfant unique | |
| twin | un jumeau / une jumelle | |
| husband / wife | le mari / la femme | "femme" = woman or wife |
| partner | le/la partenaire, le compagnon / la compagne | "compagnon" = unmarried partner |
| in a relationship | en couple | |
| single | célibataire | |
| divorced | divorcé(e) | |
| widowed | veuf / veuve |
Describing personality
Useful adjectives (remember to agree in gender and number):
- gentil(le) — kind
- drôle — funny (no feminine change)
- bavard(e) — chatty
- râleur / râleuse — moaner
- généreux / généreuse — generous
- paresseux / paresseuse — lazy
- travailleur / travailleuse — hard-working
- agaçant(e) — annoying
Grammar focus — possessive adjectives
| masc.sing | fem.sing | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|
| my | mon | ma | mes |
| your (sing.) | ton | ta | tes |
| his/her | son | sa | ses |
| our | notre | notre | nos |
| your (pl./formal) | votre | votre | vos |
| their | leur | leur | leurs |
Trap: before a feminine noun starting with a vowel, use the masculine form to avoid two vowels colliding: mon amie, ton école, son histoire.
Model phrases (memorise these)
- Je m'entends très bien avec ma mère parce qu'elle est compréhensive. — I get on really well with my mother because she's understanding.
- On se dispute parfois, mais on finit toujours par se réconcilier. — We argue sometimes, but we always end up making up.
- Mon meilleur ami me soutient quoi qu'il arrive. — My best friend supports me whatever happens.
- Je sortais avec quelqu'un, mais nous avons rompu il y a deux mois. — I was going out with someone, but we broke up two months ago.
- Selon moi, la famille passe avant tout. — In my view, family comes before everything.
Cultural notes
In France, the PACS (pacte civil de solidarité) is a civil partnership widely chosen instead of marriage. Around half of French children are now born to unmarried parents. The terms beau-père / belle-mère double as "stepfather/mother" and "father/mother-in-law" — context decides.
⚠Common mistakes— Common mistakes (examiner traps)
- Using ma amie instead of mon amie.
- Forgetting the silent -e when describing a woman: il est intelligent → elle est intelligente.
- Translating "I miss my brother" word-for-word — French inverts: mon frère me manque.
- Using être with reflexive verbs in a present tense: it's je m'entends, not je suis entends.
- Confusing rencontrer (to meet for the first time) with retrouver (to meet up with someone you know).
AI-generated · claude-opus-4-7 · v3-deep-french