agréable
/a.ɡʁe.abl/
The English word pleasant can be translated into French using agréable or plaisant.
Meaning: giving pleasure, pleasing in manner (adj)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| agréable | /a.ɡʁe.abl/ |
| plaisant | /plɛ.zɑ̃/ /ple.zɑ̃/ |
The word agréable can be used in various contexts to mean pleasant. Similarly, plaisant is used to express that something is pleasant.
Which one should you use?
agréable is the most common and versatile word for pleasant or agreeable. It is typically used to describe sensory experiences, the weather or a person's temperament.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective plaisant follows standard gender rules. While the masculine form is plaisant, it changes to plaisante in the feminine form.
How do you pronounce it?
The word agréable is pronounced /a.ɡʁe.abl/ and has 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- In French, calling a person plaisant can sometimes sound sarcastic or ironic, implying they are actually tedious or annoying.
- The word agréable shares a common ancestor with the English word 'agree', both tracing back to the Latin 'ad-gratum'.
- In a professional French email, you will often see the phrase agréer l'expression de mes salutations distinguées, which uses a form of 'pleasant' to formally request the recipient's acceptance of the sender's respect.
Examples in context
- Ce fut assez agréable.It was quite pleasant.This sentence shows how to use agréable to describe a state of being.Tatoeba #1784411 by sacredceltic, translation #1779886 by Spamster
- C'est agréable à voir.It's a pleasant sight.This sentence uses agréable to describe a sight.Tatoeba #10344200 by Julien_PDC, translation #10826332 by Lebensfreude
- Ça a une odeur agréable.It has a pleasant odor.This sentence uses agréable to describe an odor.Tatoeba #339568 by TRANG, translation #42786 by orcrist
- La promenade au parc était très agréable.The walk in the park was very pleasant.
- Elle a une voix agréable.She has a pleasant voice.
- Enchanté de faire votre connaissance.Pleased to meet you.
- C'est un endroit très plaisant pour se détendre.It's a very pleasant place to relax.
- J'ai passé une soirée très plaisante avec eux.I had a very pleasant evening with them.
- C'était une soirée vraiment sympa !It was a really nice evening!
- Elle est vraiment sympa comme amie.She is a really nice friend.
- Je me suis agréablement surpris lors de ma visite.I was pleasantly surprised during my visit.
- Il est très cool de leur part de nous aider.It's very nice of them to help us.
- J'ai passé une soirée chouette avec mes amis.I had a pleasant evening with my friends.
- Le film était vraiment chouette !The movie was really enjoyable!
- La fête était vraiment formidable !The party was really awesome!
- 71 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Chloé are talking about a cafe they visited.
- LucasTu as aimé ce petit café ?Did you like that little cafe?
- ChloéOui, l'ambiance était très agréable.Yes, the atmosphere was very pleasant.
- LucasJe suis d'accord, c'est un endroit calme.I agree, it is a quiet place.
- ChloéC'est agréable de s'y reposer.It's pleasant to relax there.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pleasant” translations and entries agréable, plaisant, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries agréable, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
