How to talk about emotions and feelings in French

In all those scenarios and many more, they will need to master the vocabulary around emotions in French to express themselves.

• Vocabulary lists: Expressing emotions in French
• Ways to inquire about emotions in French
• Other formal and informal ways of asking “how are you” in French
• Ways to express your emotions in French
• A short list of French idioms about emotions

Vocabulary lists: Expressing emotions in French

When it comes to feelings, you can either talk about them in a fairly abstract way or in a more pragmatic way – in other words, as a direct reaction to a situation or a mood.

You can even consider them as little characters that inhabit your brain and color your life as the animation movie Vice Versa (Inside Out) brilliantly did. Whatever your point of view on emotions, this vocabulary is bound to prove useful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9eFOr3Pzxw

A list of the main emotions from English to French

Before you can start talking about your general mood, it’s important to first know how to name the main feelings in French.

You may already be familiar with some words like l’amour (love), while others like la haine (hate) are best known for being the titles of famous French films. Here is our list of the most important emotions in French.

French	English
L’amitié (m)	The friendship
L’amour (m)	The love
L’affection (f)	The affection
Le bonheur	The happiness
Le chagrin	The sorrow
La colère	The anger
Le dégoût	The disgust
Le désespoir	The hopelessness
La douleur	The pain
L’émotion (f)	The emotion
L’ennui (m)	The boredom
L’envie (f)	The urge, the yearning
L’espoir (m)	The hope
La fierté	The pride
La haine	The hate
La honte	The shame
L’humeur (f)	The mood
La jalousie	The jealousy
La joie	The joy
La peur	The fear
Le sentiment	The feeling
La tendresse	The tenderness
La tristesse	The sadness

Ways to inquire about emotions in French

In French, asking “how are you” is as common, polite and harmless as talking about the weather. It’s often the first question that pops up when you arrive in the office or when you pick up your child at school. Which also makes it one of the first questions you need to learn in French.

In various scenarios, whether consoling a distressed friend, checking up on a French relative, or simply expressing concern for someone’s well-being, there exists an appropriate question.

"Comment allez-vous ? / Comment ça va ? / Ça va ?" (How are you?)

These phrases, ranging from formal to informal, are commonly used in French discourse.

While they may not elicit elaborate responses, they serve as a general inquiry into someone’s state of being.

"Qu’est-ce qu’il y a ?" (What’s wrong?)

Ideally, this question isn’t needed frequently. It’s typically employed when someone exhibits signs of distress or sends a troubling message.

"Qu’est-ce que tu as ?" is another variant to ask "What’s wrong?" However, its tone can be perceived as more assertive, for example: "What is wrong with you?" Thus, it’s best used judiciously.

"Comment vous sentez-vous ?" (How are you feeling?)

This phrase is commonly heard in medical contexts, either when a doctor inquires of a patient or vice versa. Understanding the context for this question and the verb "sentir" (to feel) is beneficial.

"Pourquoi es-tu triste ?" (Why are you sad?)

If you’re curious or genuinely concerned about someone’s emotions, this phrase proves useful. It can be adjusted for formal use:

"Pouquoi êtes-vous triste ?"

"Pourquoi es-tu déçu / déçue ?" (Why are you disappointed?)

If someone appears crestfallen, asking this question can offer insight into their feelings.

Remember to select the appropriate gender form— "déçu" for masculine singular and "déçue" for feminine singular—when employing this phrase.

If you want to learn how to ask questions in French, also consider learning the right question words and how to use them for the purpose you have in mind.

Other formal and informal ways of asking “how are you” in French

The following table gives you a few options, with the pronouns “vous” (formal “you” when talking to one person or both formal and informal when talking to more than one person) and “tu” (informal “you” when talking to one person). While the first questions of the table are generic, the last four rows of questions are used when something already seems wrong.

“Vous ne vous sentez pas bien ? Tu ne te sens pas bien ?”

You’re not feeling well?

“Qu’est-ce qui ne va pas ?”

What’s wrong?

Ça ne va pas ?

Is there something wrong?

Ways to express your emotions in French

Expressing your feelings (exprimer ses sentiments) can be done in the following ways:

"Je suis…" - I am…

This method is straightforward and widely used. Simply state your current emotion (ensuring it agrees with your gender), and you’ve effectively communicated your feelings.

"Je me sens…" - I feel…

Another common expression for conveying emotions. Insert your emotion after the phrase. If the reflexive verb structure seems unfamiliar, don’t worry; focus on remembering the phrase for now.

"J’ai…" - I have…

Certain emotions in French employ the construction with "avoir" (to have) instead of "être" (to be). You might have encountered this with expressions like "J’ai faim" (I’m hungry, literally, I have hunger).

Here are a few examples:

"J’ai peur de quelque chose." (I’m scared of something.)

"J’ai mal à la tête." (My head hurts.)

"J’ai honte de quelque chose." (I’m ashamed of something.)

Feeling positive? Find out how to say it in French

If you are de bonne humeur (in a good mood), here are a few useful adjectives in French to express your happy state of mind. To make it easier on you, we have provided both the masculine and the feminine forms of adjectives, whenever relevant.

French	English
amoureux/amoureuse	In love
content(e)	pleased
enthousiaste	enthusiastic
fier/fière	proud
heureux/heureuse	happy
intéressé(e)	interested
joyeux/joyeuse	joyful
ravi(e)	delighted
satisfait(e)	satisfied

If you’re feeling down, talk it up!

If you are feeling a little bit sorry for yourself, the following words will help you to describe your exact mood.

French	English
déçu(e)	disappointed
dégoûté(e)	disgusted
déprimé(e)	depressed
désolé(e)	sorry
effrayé(e)	scared
en colère	angry
énervé(e)	irritated/annoyed
furieux/furieuse	furious
gêné(e)	embarassed
honteux/honteuse	ashamed
inquiet/inquiète	worried
jaloux/jalouse	jealous
malheureux/malheureuse	unhappy
mécontent(e)	discontent/dissatisfied
nerveux/nerveuse	nervous
triste	sad
vexé(e)	upset

Another essential phrase in any language - "I miss you", can also be expressed in French in a number of ways. For example: Tu me manques.

A short list of French idioms about emotions

It is hardly surprising that such a common topic should have its fair share of idioms. Here are some of the most frequent expressions to say how you feel in French.

French expression	Literal translation	Actual meaning
avoir le cafard	to have the cockroach	to feel blue/down
avoir la pêche	to have the peach	to feel great/in top form
casser les pieds à quelqu’un	to break the feet to somebody	to get on somebody’s nerve
être bien dans sa peau	to be well in one’s skin	to feel at ease/comfortable with oneself
être bien luné(e)	to be well mooned	to be in a good mood
être mal dans sa peau	to be bad in one’s skin	to be ill-at-ease/uncomfortable with oneself
être mal luné(e)	to be badly mooned	to be grumpy
ne pas être dans son assiette	not to be in one’s plate	to be under the weather

Start saying how you feel with this list of emotions in French 

Learning vocabulary for emotions in French is the first step to learning how to ask and talk about feelings. You may use it as part of your daily greeting, for instance when you check up on your French colleagues in the morning, or to have more in-depth conversations about your state of mind.

FAQs

In this section, let's explore some of the questions those learning French often ask about French emotions and feelings vocabulary.

What are the different emotions in French?

In French, various emotions are expressed through words like "joie" (joy), "tristesse" (sadness), "colère" (anger), "peur" (fear), and "amour" (love).

You can also use adjectives to describe how someone is feeling. For example, "Elle se sent heureuse."

What are five feeling words?

Five feeling words in French could include "heureux/heureuse" (happy), "triste" (sad), "en colère" (angry), "effrayé/effrayée" (scared), and "amoureux/amoureuse" (in love).

What is the most beautiful French word?

Opinions on beauty may vary, but "lumière" (light) is often considered one of the most beautiful French words, evoking both visual and metaphorical brightness.

How do you express sadness in French?

In French, feelings of sadness might be expressed with phrases like "Je me sens triste" (I feel sad) or "Je suis désolé/désolée" (I am sorry), along with words such as "chagrin" (similar to the English word for grief) or "déception" (disappointment).

Summing up: How to talk about emotions and feelings in French

In French vocabulary, words for feelings and emotions are the linguistic tools that can unlock deeper connections and empathy.

From the simple inquiry "Comment vous sentez-vous ?" (How are you feeling?) to the nuanced nuances of "joie" (joy) and "tristesse" (sadness), French offers a myriad of ways to speak and understand our innermost sentiments.

So, let us continue to ask and answer, to speak with sincerity, and to find pleasure in the shared understanding of our diverse emotional landscape.