How to Express Feelings in French (Imparfait + Adjective Agreement)
Part of UNITÉ 0 — Les souvenirs d’enfance
Aligned with the International Baccalaureate MYP 3 (Phases 3–4)
French emotions vocabulary lesson, adjectives agreement French, imparfait emotions French, IB MYP French feelings lesson
Lesson Overview
In this lesson, you will learn how to describe emotions and feelings in the past.
This is essential for:
- making your story more personal
- expressing identity (IB Key Concept)
- improving narrative quality
Why Talk About Emotions in a Story?
When we tell a story in the past, emotions help us:
- explain how we felt
- make the story more personal
- add meaning to events
Key Grammar Idea
In French, emotions are often expressed using:
- être (to be)
- se sentir (to feel)
These verbs are usually used in the imparfait when describing memories.
Vocabulary — Emotions
Common Adjectives
| French | English |
|---|---|
| heureux / heureuse | happy |
| content / contente | pleased |
| fier / fière | proud |
| triste | sad |
| stressé / stressée | stressed |
| calme | calm |
| inquiet / inquiète | worried |
| surpris / surprise | surprised |
| en colère | angry |
| fatigué / fatiguée | tired |
Grammar Focus 1 — Using Emotion Adjectives
Structure
- j’étais + adjective
- je me sentais + adjective
Examples
- j’étais heureux / heureuse
- je me sentais fier / fière
Subject Agreement Examples
| Subject | Sentence |
|---|---|
| Je (masc.) | J’étais heureux |
| Je (fem.) | J’étais heureuse |
| Il | Il se sentait fier |
| Elle | Elle se sentait fière |
| Nous (mixed) | Nous étions contents |
| Elles | Elles se sentaient fatiguées |
Key Rule
Most emotion adjectives are descriptive, so they are commonly used in the imparfait.
Grammar Focus 2 — Agreement Revision
Rule
Adjectives must agree with the subject in:
- Gender (masculine / feminine)
- Number (singular / plural)
Formation
- Feminine → usually add -e
- Plural → add -s
Examples
- heureux → heureuse
- fier → fière
- stressé → stressés
Using Emotions in Sentences
Examples
Quand j’étais petit, j’étais très heureux.
Pendant que je jouais avec mes amis, je me sentais libre.
Après l’accident, j’étais triste et inquiet.
Quand j’ai réussi mon examen, je me suis senti fier.
Important Note
- Imparfait → emotion over time
- Passé composé → change of emotion / reaction
Writing Focus — Décrire des souvenirs
Task 1 — A Happy Memory
Write 4–5 sentences about a happy memory.
Include:
- at least one time marker
- at least two emotion adjectives
- mostly imparfait
Example Starter
Quand j’étais enfant…
Un jour spécial…
Task 2 — A Difficult Memory
Write 4–5 sentences about a difficult memory.
Include:
- one event in passé composé
- emotions in imparfait
- correct agreement
Example Starter
Un jour, quelque chose de difficile est arrivé…
Pendant ce moment, je me sentais…
Practice Activities
Exercise 1 — Choose the Correct Form
- J’étais ________ (heureux / heureuse).
- Elle se sentait ________ (fier / fière).
- Nous étions ________ (stressé / stressés).
- Elles se sentaient ________ (triste / tristes).
Exercise 2 — Complete the Sentence
Use être or se sentir in the imparfait:
- Quand j’étais petit, je ________ calme.
- Pendant l’examen, je ________ stressé(e).
- Après l’accident, nous ________ inquiets.
Common Mistakes
- Forgetting adjective agreement
- Using present instead of imparfait
- Mixing masculine and feminine forms
Skills Developed
- Emotional expression
- Grammar accuracy
- Writing detail
- Speaking fluency
Outcome
By the end of this lesson, you can:
- Describe how you felt in the past
- Use emotion vocabulary correctly
- Apply adjective agreement accurately
Strategy
Previous lessons:
- Lesson 4 — Imparfait vs Passé Composé
- Lesson 5 — Time Markers
Next recommended page:
Writing a Personal Narrative in French
Suggested anchor text:
- Learn how to express feelings in French
- Improve your IB storytelling skills
Reflection Box
- Can I describe emotions in French?
- Do I use correct agreement?
Final Practice
Say:
Quand j’étais petit(e), j’étais…
Un jour, je me suis senti(e)…
