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My Personality — Mon caractère by Dawn-Michelle Baude, Ph.D.

Do you like to laugh? Do you like to figure things out? Do you tend to look on the bright side of things? The answers to these questions describe your personality! How you think and feel about others gives information about who you are. Even your attitude toward food, art, and video games is part of your personality.

I am… — Je suis…

To describe your personality in English, you begin with “I am” and follow it by a descriptive word, like “friendly,” to make the sentence, “I am friendly.” In French, you do the same. You start with Je suis and add a descriptive word (also known as an adjective) to describe your personality. So “I am friendly” is Je suis + sympa or je suis sympa.

Here is a list of adjectives you will need. Both the masculine words and feminine words are listed.

<tgroup cols="2" align="center"> <colspec colnum="1" colname="col1" colsep="0" rowsep="0" colwidth="50%" align="left"/> <colspec colnum="2" colname="col2" colsep="0" rowsep="0" colwidth="50%" align="left"/> <thead> <row rowsep="1"> <td><p>English</p></td> <td><p>French</p></td> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td><p>I am</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>Je suis</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>happy</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>heureux/heureuse</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>content</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>content/contente</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>relaxed</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>décontracté/décontractée</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>curious</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>curieux/curieuse</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>funny</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>drôle</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>sensitive</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>sensible</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>friendly</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>sympa</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>athletic</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>sportif/sportive</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>shy</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>timide</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>artistic</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>artiste</emphasis></p></td> </tr> </tbody> </tgroup> </table> <div class="npsb"> <h2> TRY THIS <emphasis>Essaie ceci</emphasis></h2> <p><B>Imagine a Character — <emphasis>Imaginer un personnage</emphasis></B></p> <p>Imagine you're someone else. Using your French vocabulary, create a new physical description. Give yourself different color hair, different hobbies, and a new name. Try to use as many French words as you can!</p> </div> <table frame="none" width="100%"> <title/> <tgroup cols="2" align="center"> <colspec colnum="1" colname="col1" colsep="0" rowsep="0" colwidth="50%" align="left"/> <colspec colnum="2" colname="col2" colsep="0" rowsep="0" colwidth="50%" align="left"/> <thead> <row rowsep="1"> <td><p>English</p></td> <td><p>French</p></td> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td><p>full of energy</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>en pleine forme</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>healthy</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>en bonne santé</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>tired</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>fatigué/fatiguée</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>nice</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>gentil/gentille</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>serious</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>sérieux/sérieuse</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>stubborn</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>têtu/têtue</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>cheerful</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>gai/gaie</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>active</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>actif/active</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>lazy</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>paresseux/paresseuse</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>generous</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>généreux/généreuse</emphasis></p></td> </tr> </tbody> </tgroup> </table> <h2>I like… — <emphasis>J'aime</emphasis>…</h2> <p>Another way to describe your personality is by naming the things you like. In English, you say, “I like” followed by the complement, “I like playing the piano.” In French, the word for “I” is one you already know, <emphasis>Je</emphasis>. The verb for “to like” is <emphasis>aimer</emphasis>. So French kids say, <emphasis>J'aime</emphasis>….</p> <p>The complement that finishes off the sentence is usually a noun, a thing like “painting” (<emphasis>la peinture</emphasis>) or “swimming” (<emphasis>la natation</emphasis>). But sometimes the complement can begin with a verb, an action like “playing soccer” ( <emphasis>jouer au foot</emphasis>). Then you make a sentence like <emphasis>J'aime</emphasis> + <emphasis>jouer au foot</emphasis>, or <emphasis>J'aime jouer au foot</emphasis>.</p> <p>The following are several ways you can complete the sentence, <emphasis>J'aime.</emphasis> Try to find the ones that apply to you:</p> <table frame="none" width="100%"> <title/> <tgroup cols="2" align="center"> <colspec colnum="1" colname="col1" colsep="0" rowsep="0" colwidth="50%" align="left"/> <colspec colnum="2" colname="col2" colsep="0" rowsep="0" colwidth="50%" align="left"/> <thead> <row rowsep="1"> <td><p>English</p></td> <td><p>French</p></td> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td><p>I like</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>J'aime</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>dancing</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>la danse</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>singing</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>le chant</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>playing outside</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>jouer dehors</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>games</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>les jeux</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>reading</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>la lecture</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>horseback riding</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>faire du cheval</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>bike riding</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>faire du vélo</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>tennis</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>jouer au tennis</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>soccer</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>faire du foot</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>volleyball</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>faire du volleyball</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>playing music</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>jouer de la musique</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>playing chess</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>jouer aux échecs</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>doing magic</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>faire de la magie</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>taking photographs</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>prendre des photos</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>listening to music</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>écouter de la musique</emphasis></p></td> </tr> </tbody> </tgroup> </table> <h2>I don't like… — <emphasis>Je n'aime pas</emphasis>…</h2> <p>Now think about the things you don't like to do, because that's part of your personality, too. Instead of adding “not” after the verb in English (“I do not like swimming”), in French you sandwich the verb between <emphasis>ne</emphasis> and <emphasis>pas</emphasis>. Be careful, though: If the verb begins with a vowel, you contract the <emphasis>ne</emphasis> to <emphasis>n'</emphasis>. So <emphasis>J'aime la natation</emphasis> (“I like swimming”) becomes <emphasis>Je n'aime pas la natation</emphasis> (“I don't like swimming”).</p> <!--/gc--> <div id="pagination"><ul><li class="prev"><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/kids-french/all-about-me-tout-sur-moi/describing-myself-je-me-dcris.htm" title="Describing Myself — Je me décris">Describing Myself — Je me décris</a></li><li class="next"><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/kids-french/all-about-me-tout-sur-moi/the-place-where-i-live-lendroit-o-je-vis.htm" title="The Place Where I Live — L'endroit où je vis">The Place Where I Live — L'endroit où je vis</a> </li></ul></div></div> <div id="coda"> <div id="rel"><div class="n5">Related Articles</div><ul> <li><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/kids-french/all-about-me-tout-sur-moi/my-personality-mon-caractre.htm" zT="18/1YL/Zn"> My Personality — Mon caractère - French for Kids </a></li> <li><a href="http://french.about.com/od/grammar/a/sentences.htm" zT="18/1YL/Zn"> Introduction to French Sentences </a></li> <li><a href="http://french.about.com/od/mistakes/a/jehabite.htm" zT="18/1YL/Zn"> Je habite - French Mistake </a></li> <li><a href="http://french.about.com/od/mistakes/a/jailuidit.htm" zT="18/1YL/Zn"> J'ai lui dit - French Mistake </a></li> <li><a href="http://french.about.com/od/grammar/a/verb_perception.htm" zT="18/1YL/Zn"> French Verbs of Perception ~ Verbes de sensation </a></li> </ul></div> <div id="sec"><div class="n5">Read More All About Me — Tout sur moi</div><ul><ul class="col1"><li ><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/kids-french/all-about-me-tout-sur-moi/describing-myself-je-me-dcris.htm">Describing Myself — Je me décris</a></li> <li class="btO">My Personality — Mon caractère</li> <li ><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/kids-french/all-about-me-tout-sur-moi/the-place-where-i-live-lendroit-o-je-vis.htm">The Place Where I Live — L'endroit où je vis</a></li> </ul><ul class="col2"><li ><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/kids-french/all-about-me-tout-sur-moi/my-family-ma-famille.htm">My Family — Ma famille</a></li> <li ><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/kids-french/all-about-me-tout-sur-moi/my-school-mon-cole.htm">My School — Mon école</a></li> <li ><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/kids-french/all-about-me-tout-sur-moi/my-friends-mes-camarades.htm">My Friends — Mes camarades</a></li> </ul></ul></div> </div> <script>if(zSbL<1)zSbL=3;zSB(2);zSbL=0</script> </div> <div id="widgets"><script type="text/javascript">if(z336>0){w('<div id="adB">'+ap[0]+at[4]+as[0]);adunit('','','about.com',ch,gs,336,280,'1','bb',3);w('</div>')}if(z155>0){w('<div id="adP">'+ap[0]+at[4]+as[0]);adunit('','','about.com',ch,gs,336,155,'1','ps',4);w('</div>')}</script> <div id="pg" class="pane"><div class="n3">Shopping</div><div class="cntnr"><a href="http://shop.everything.com/product/the-everything-kids-learning-french-book"><img src="http://0.tqn.com/d/np/kids-french/Cover.jpg"></a><h4><a href="http://shop.everything.com/product/the-everything-kids-learning-french-book">THE EVERYTHING KIDS' LEARNING FRENCH BOOK</a></h4><p><a href="http://shop.everything.com/product/the-everything-kids-learning-french-book">By Dawn-Michelle Baude, Ph.D.</a></p><div id="fp"><a href="http://shop.everything.com/product/the-everything-kids-learning-french-book">Buy This Book</a></div></div></div> <div id="toc" class="pane"><div class="n3">French for Kids Sections</div><ul><li><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/kids-french/lets-get-started-allons-y/">Let's Get Started! — Allons-y!</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/kids-french/time-and-dates-lheure-et-les-dates/">Time and Dates — L'heure et les dates</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/kids-french/all-about-me-tout-sur-moi/">All About Me — Tout sur moi</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/kids-french/social-life-la-vie-sociale/">Social Life — La vie sociale</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/kids-french/what-should-we-do-quest-ce-quon-va-faire/">What Should We do? 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