elle est gentille
The English phrase "she is nice" is translated into French as elle est gentille.
This phrase describes a woman or girl who is kind and friendly.
Which one should you use?
You might use Elle est agréable to emphasize that she is pleasant or agreeable or Elle est chouette to describe her as "cool" or "nice".
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase elle est gentille, the adjective gentille is the feminine form of gentil to agree with the feminine subject elle.
Did you know?
- The word chouette used to describe a 'nice' person is actually the French word for an 'owl'.
- The term gentille stems from the Latin 'gentilis', which originally referred to someone belonging to the same 'gens' or family. This connection links the idea of being 'nice' to the historical concept of social status and lineage.
- If you use elle est gentille with a specific sarcastic tone, it can actually imply she is 'too nice' or even 'a bit simple'. In certain social contexts, describing someone as 'too kind' is a subtle way of questioning their intelligence.
Examples in context
- Marie est une personne très gentille.Marie is a very nice person.
- Sophie est une interlocutrice très agréable.Sophie is a very nice conversationalist.
- Anne est vraiment sympa.Anne is really nice.
- Monique est une personne vraiment chouette.Monique is a really cool person.
- Elle est gentille avec tout le monde.She is nice to everyone.
- Elle est gentille, mais très timide.She is nice, but very shy.
Example conversation
Lucas and Emma are talking about a new colleague.
- LucasTu connais la nouvelle collègue ?Do you know the new colleague?
- EmmaOui, elle est gentille.Yes, she is nice.
- LucasC'est super pour l'équipe.That is great for the team.
- EmmaJe suis d'accord avec toi.I agree with you.
