Learn how to express emotions and feelings in French with vocabulary for positive and negative emotions, present indicative verb forms, and the zero conditional for cause and effect. Practice everyday dialogues and understand cultural language differences like the use of reflexive verbs for feelings.
Listening & reading materials
Practice vocabulary in context with real materials.
Vocabulary (17) Share Copied!
Exercises Share Copied!
These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.
Exercise 1: Reorder sentences
Instruction: Make correct sentences and translate.
Exercise 2: Match a word
Instruction: Match the translations
Exercise 3: Cluster the words
Instruction: Group these words into two categories based on whether they express positive emotions or negative emotions.
Émotions positives
Émotions négatives
Exercise 4: Translate and use in a sentence
Instruction: Pick a word, translated and use the word in a sentence or dialogue.
1
Malheureux
Unhappy
2
Mal
Badly
3
J'adore ...
I love ...
4
Content
Happy
5
Triste
Sad
Exercice 5: Exercice de conversation
Instruction:
- Quelle est l'émotion dans chaque image ? (What is the emotion in each picture? )
- Demandez à la personne à côté de vous comment elle se sent. (Ask the person next to you how they feel.)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
Le garçon sur la première photo est heureux. The boy in the first picture is happy. |
La fille se sent fatiguée. The girl feels tired. |
Elle est très en colère. She is very angry. |
Comment te sens-tu ? How are you feeling? |
Je suis calme et heureux. I am calm and happy. |
Je suis un peu fatigué. I am a bit tired. |
... |
Exercise 6: Dialogue Cards
Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.
Exercise 7: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct solution
1. Je ______ de la joie quand je vois mes amis.
(I ______ joy when I see my friends.)2. Tu ______ que la vie en France est intéressante.
(You ______ that life in France is interesting.)3. Il ______ fatigué après une longue journée de travail.
(He ______ tired after a long day of work.)4. Nous ______ souvent de la satisfaction quand nous réussissons.
(We ______ often feel satisfaction when we succeed.)Exercise 8: A day of emotions at the office and at home
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Ressentir - Feel
Présent
- Je ressens
- Tu ressens
- Il/Elle/On ressent
- Nous ressentons
- Vous ressentez
- Ils/Elles ressentent
Dormir - Sleep
Présent
- Je dors
- Tu dors
- Il/Elle/On dort
- Nous dormons
- Vous dormez
- Ils/Elles dorment
Penser - Think
Présent
- Je pense
- Tu penses
- Il/Elle/On pense
- Nous pensons
- Vous pensez
- Ils/Elles pensent
Se sentir - Feel oneself
Présent
- Je me sens
- Tu te sens
- Il/Elle/On se sent
- Nous nous sentons
- Vous vous sentez
- Ils/Elles se sentent
Demander - Make
Présent
- Je demande
- Tu demandes
- Il/Elle/On demande
- Nous demandons
- Vous demandez
- Ils/Elles demandent
Rentrer - Return
Présent
- Je rentre
- Tu rentres
- Il/Elle/On rentre
- Nous rentrons
- Vous rentrez
- Ils/Elles rentrent
Voir - See
Présent
- Je vois
- Tu vois
- Il/Elle/On voit
- Nous voyons
- Vous voyez
- Ils/Elles voient
Rendre - Make
Présent
- Je rends
- Tu rends
- Il/Elle/On rend
- Nous rendons
- Vous rendez
- Ils/Elles rendent
Exercise 9: Le conditionnel type zéro
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: The zero conditional
Show translation Show answersdors, aimes, est, manges, ont, ouvres, mets, offre
Exercise 10: Le présent de l'indicatif : verbes régulier (3ème groupe)
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: The present indicative: regular verbs (3rd group)
Show translation Show answerscrois, dors, vivent, vois, ressentez, ressent, sort, savez
Exercise 11: Résumé du présent de l'indicatif
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: Summary of the present indicative
Show translation Show answersressens, prends, manges, finis, vois, pense, vis, demandons
Grammar Share Copied!
It's not the most exciting thing, we admit, but it’s absolutely essential (and we promise it'll pay off)!
A1.25.3 Grammaire
Le présent de l'indicatif : verbes régulier (3ème groupe)
The present indicative: regular verbs (3rd group)
Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Ressentir to feel Share Copied!
present
French | English |
---|---|
(je/j') ressens | I feel |
(tu) ressens | You feel |
(il/elle/on) ressent | he/she/one feels |
(nous) ressentons | we feel |
(vous) ressentez | You feel |
(ils/elles) ressentent | they feel |
Penser to think Share Copied!
present
French | English |
---|---|
(je/j') je pense / j' pense | I think |
tu penses | you think |
(il/elle/on) il pense / elle pense / on pense | he thinks / she thinks / one thinks |
nous pensons | We think |
vous pensez | You think |
(ils/elles) ils pensent / elles pensent | they think |
Se sentir to feel Share Copied!
present
French | English |
---|---|
(je/j') je me sens | I feel |
tu te sens | you feel |
il/elle/on se sent | he/she/one feels |
nous nous sentons | we feel |
vous vous sentez | you feel |
ils/elles se sentent | they feel |
Don't see progress when learning on your own? Study this material with a certified teacher!
Do you want to practice French today? That is possible! Just contact one of our teachers today.
Understanding Emotions and Feelings in French
This lesson introduces you to expressions and vocabulary related to emotions and feelings, an essential part of everyday communication in French. You'll explore common positive emotions like heureux (happy) and content (content), as well as negative ones such as triste (sad) and fatigué (tired).
Key Grammar: Present Indicative and Zero Conditional
You'll practice regular third-group verbs in the present indicative tense, which are frequently used to describe current feelings or states. Additionally, the lesson covers the zero conditional, useful for expressing cause and effect in emotional contexts—for example, Si tu dors bien, tu te sens mieux le matin. (If you sleep well, you feel better in the morning.)
Practical Dialogue Exercises
Engage with situational dialogues such as conversations at work, in cafés, or at the pharmacy, helping you express and respond to emotions naturally. This practice also reinforces polite inquiries about others' feelings and appropriate emotional expressions.
Vocabulary Clustering for Emotions
Group emotion words intelligently into positive and negative categories, aiding your memory and understanding of nuanced feelings.
Verb Conjugations and Sentence Construction
The lesson includes multiple-choice exercises and sentence completions focusing on key verbs like ressentir (to feel), penser (to think), and se sentir (to feel oneself), emphasizing correct usage in expressing emotions.
Cultural Notes and Language Differences
Unlike English, French often uses the reflexive verb se sentir to describe how one feels, which literally means "to feel oneself." This reflexive construction does not always have a direct one-to-one translation but is common in French emotional expressions. For example, Je me sens fatigué translates to "I feel tired." Also, articles in French are required before nouns expressing feelings, e.g., de la joie (joy) as opposed to English where articles can sometimes be omitted.
Useful Phrases to Remember
- Je me sens content. – I feel happy.
- Si tu es stressé, parle avec quelqu’un. – If you are stressed, talk to someone.
- Ils ont peur quand ils voient un serpent. – They are afraid when they see a snake.
- Nous sommes amoureux. – We are in love.