Vocabulary list
French sensory vocabulary: light, sound, texture, smell and taste
Describe a bright room, a soft cushion and a strong coffee in French. Learn sensory phrases with concrete picture cues, examples and four questions.
- A2
- 17 words
- Gender marked
- With examples
- Learn this in the A2 notebook →
In short
Keep the noun with the sensory word: une pièce lumineuse is a bright room, un coussin doux has a soft surface and un café amer tastes bitter. For smell, compare Je sens le café (I can smell the coffee) with Le café sent bon (the coffee smells good).
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Picture the thing, then add the sensation
Find:
Light and sound
Touch and texture
Smell and taste
How do you describe texture in French?
Le coussin est doux au toucher, mais il est assez ferme. La pièce est lumineuse, même avec ses rideaux foncés.
The cushion feels soft to the touch, but it is fairly firm. The room is bright, even with its dark-coloured curtains.
Surface, firmness, colour and illumination are separate details. Doux describes a pleasant soft feel; mou describes something that yields under pressure. For sound, aigu concerns pitch and fort concerns loudness. A quiet sound can still be high-pitched.
- Emma
Tu veux un café ?
Would you like a coffee?
- Vous
Oui, merci. Ça sent bon !
Yes, thanks. That smells good!
- Emma
Tu veux du sucre ?
Would you like some sugar?
- Vous
Non, je préfère le café sans sucre.
No, I prefer coffee without sugar.
To make a taste judgement personal, add à mon goût: La soupe est trop salée à mon goût. For how you feel, use se sentir: Je me sens bien ici. This changes the meaning from noticing a smell to describing your own state.