In this section:

• les couleurs et les adjectifs
• Les articles définis
• le portrait physique – avoir
• les pronoms non-binaires

les couleurs et les adjectifs – colors and adjectives

Les articles définis – Definite articles

The definite article (le, la, l’, les) is often used with parts of the body instead of a possessive determiner (mon, ma, mes, etc.). Sentences with this structure always use the verb avoir to indicate that the possessor is the subject of the sentence. The following French sentences are equivalent.

However, an indefinite article is used if an adjective comes before the part of the body:

The definite article is also always used when pronominal verbs refer to parts of the body.

le portrait physique – avoir – to have

In French, there are two main verbs used to describe someone’s physical attributes. You may use “être” – to be – to describe how they are, or use the verb avoir – to have – to describe certain features.

Elle est blonde – using “être”. Notice the adjective “blond” agrees with the person’s gender here.
or
Elle a les cheveux blonds – using “avoir”.  The adjective “blond” agrees with the noun it’s describing – cheveux (hairs) are plural and masculin.

J‘ai – I have
Tu as–  you have
Il / elle /iel /on a – he/she/they/one has
nous avons – we have
vous avez – you (all) have
ils / elles / iels ont – they have

les pronoms non-binaires – Non-binary pronouns

iel = “they” (singular)  “Iel aime jouer au foot.”

iels = “they” (plural) “Iels aiment danser.”

non-binary options: adjectives

The following suggestions for how to describe non-binary people is adapted from Julia Spiegelman’s “Student Guide to Non-Binary French”: 

As mentioned in previous modules, the middot (point médian) can be used in inclusive written French to suggest gender neutrality: for example, les étudiant·e·s can include students of all genders.

• Example: Sam est fatigué·e.

For the adjectives discussed above in BANGS, the following are possible options:

Beau /belle:

• Iel est belleau ou bel.

Joli / jolie:

• Iel est jolix.

Vieux / vieille

• Iel est vieil

Bon / bonne

• Iel est ban

Grand / grande

• Iels est grans ou granx.

Petit / petite

• Iel est petit·e

Vocabulaire LGBT+ en français

Identités et expression de genre et sexualité

• • agenre – agender
  • androgyne – androgynous
  • aromantique – aromantic
  • asexuel·le – asexual
  • bigenre – bigender
  • bisexuel·le – bisexual
  • cisgenre – cisgender
  • demifille – demigirl
  • demigarçon – demiboy
  • demisexuel·le – demisexual
  • féminin·e – feminine
  • gay / gai – gay
  • genre fluide / genderfluid – genderfluid
  • genderqueer – genderqueer
  • genre neutre – gender neutral
  • l’identité (f) de genre – gender identity
  • intersexe – intersex
  • hétérosexuel·le / hétéro – heterosexual
  • lesbien·ne – lesbian
  • masculin·e – masculine
  • non-binaire – non-binary
  • l’orientation sexuelle – sexual orientation
  • pangenre – pangender
  • pansexuel·le – pansexual
  • une personne trans – a trans person
  • queer – queer
  • en questionnement – questioning
  • transgenre / trans – transgender

Actions

• s’identifier comme – to identify as
• manifester, militer (pour) – to protest, advocate (for)
• porter un binder – to wear a binder
• se questionner sur le genre – to question one’s gender
• sortir du placard, faire son coming-out – to come out
• suivre une hormonothérapie – to take hormone therapy
• transitionner – to transition

La société

• la communauté LGBT/queer – the LGBT/queer community
• les droits (m) – rights
• genre neutre – gender-neutral
• hétéronormatif/ve – heteronormative
• l’hétéronormativité (f) – heteronormativity
• homophobe – homophobic
• l’homophobie (f) – homophobia
• le langage neutre – gender-neutral language
• les lois (f) – laws
• mégenrer – to misgender
• un·e militant·e – an activist
• les normes (f) – norms
• le patriarcat – the patriarchy
• le sexisme – sexism
• un spectre – a spectrum
• la transphobie – transphobia
• transphobe – transphobic

Phrases

• Tu t’identifies comment?
  • Je m’identifie comme… / Je suis…
• Quel est ton pronom? / Tu utilises quel pronom ?
  • Mon pronom est… / J’utilise le(s) pronom(s)…

Le français non-binaire

Nouns: How to call people

Nouns that carry a gender unrelated to the person they designate:

• la personne – the person
• l’individu – the individual
• le personnage – the character

Ex: Alex est un individu non-binaire et pansexuel.

Son ami·e, Kyle, est une personne genderqueer et bisexuelle.

Nouns that stay the same regardless of gender:

• ado – teenager
• jeune – young person
• enfant – child
• élève – student
• adulte – adult
• partenaire – (work) partner
• collègue – colleague
• athlète – athlete
• touriste – tourist

Words to describe people and relationships

* marks non-traditional words and uses – you won’t find these in a dictionary (yet).

Adjectives: How to describe people

Here are some adjectives that don’t change based on gender :

• adorable – adorable
• agréable – pleasant
• aimable – likable
• calme – calm
• désagréable – unpleasant
• dynamique – dynamic
• énergique – energetic
• lunatique – moody
• pauvre – poor
• riche – rich
• sage – wise, well-behaved
• sympathique/sympa – nice
• timide – shy

Punctuated forms using the middot (point médian), dash, or period are often used in inclusive written French to suggest gender neutrality: for example, les étudiant·e·s can include students of all genders.  These forms are widely understood.

• Example: Sam est fatigué·e / fatigué.e / fatigué-e.

New, alternative endings for gender-neutral forms are suggested in the table below.  These are recommended by a Québecois organization for trans inclusion, Fondation Émergence