gentil/ʒɑ̃.ti/
adjective / noun · A1 · Frequency 507
adjectivemasculine
Meanings
kind, amiable, well behaved, good
Commonly used to describe a person's character or behavior, indicating kindness and amiability.
courteous, gallant
Rather formal; denotes courteous, attentive manners; not “noble” in modern usage.
attractive, pretty
Used to describe physical appearance or attractiveness of things.
Examples
Paul est gentil avec les nouveaux voisins.
Paul is kind to the new neighbors.
Le gentil cavalier salua la dame avec courtoisie.
The courteous gentleman greeted the lady.
Il a un gentil sourire qui met les gens à l'aise.
He has an attractive smile that puts people at ease.
Nous avons trouvé un gentil appartement près du marché.
We found a nice, fairly spacious apartment near the market.
Collocations
- enfant gentilwell-behaved child
- homme gentilcourteous man
- fille gentillepretty girl
Common mistakes
Il est gentil à ses collègues.
Il est gentil avec ses collègues.
When gentil means being kind to someone, gentil is normally followed by avec, not à.
Related words
nounmasculine
Meanings
gentile, pagan, non-Christian
Refers to non-Jewish persons, commonly used in religious contexts.
Examples
Dans ce récit biblique, un gentil demande conseil au rabbin.
In this biblical story, a gentile asks the rabbi for advice.
Le texte explique comment un gentil pouvait être accueilli dans la communauté.
The text explains how a gentile could be welcomed into the community.
Pour les anciens, un gentil désignait souvent quelqu'un qui ne partageait pas leur religion.
For people in ancient times, a gentile often referred to someone who did not share their religion.
Collocations
- gentil non-juifnon-Jewish gentile
- gentil païenpagan gentile
- gentil chrétiennon-Christian gentile
Common mistakes
le gentil
un gentil
Gentil as a noun is usually used with an indefinite article for general reference.
Related words
synonympaïenpagan
synonymnon-juifnon-Jew
adjectivefeminine
Meanings
kind, amiable, well behaved, good
Commonly used to describe a person's character or behavior, indicating kindness and amiability.
courteous, gallant
Rather formal; denotes courteous, attentive manners; not “noble” in modern usage.
attractive, pretty
Used to describe physical appearance or attractiveness of things.
Examples
Ma nouvelle collègue est gentille avec toute l'équipe.
My new colleague is kind to the whole team.
La jeune diplomate s'est montrée gentille et courtoise avec ses hôtes.
The young diplomat proved courteous and gracious to her hosts.
La fillette a une gentille frimousse souriante.
The little girl has a pretty, smiling face.
La réparation lui a coûté une gentille somme.
The repair cost him a tidy sum.
Collocations
- enfant gentilwell-behaved child
- homme gentilcourteous man
- fille gentillepretty girl
Common mistakes
Il est gentil à ses collègues.
Il est gentil avec ses collègues.
When gentil means being kind to someone, gentil is normally followed by avec, not à.
Related words
adjectivemasculine
Meanings
kind, amiable, well behaved, good
Commonly used to describe a person's character or behavior, indicating kindness and amiability.
courteous, gallant
Rather formal; denotes courteous, attentive manners; not “noble” in modern usage.
attractive, pretty
Used to describe physical appearance or attractiveness of things.
Examples
Les enfants gentils rangent leurs jouets sans qu'on le leur demande.
The well-behaved children put their toys away without being asked.
Les chevaliers gentils de la légende accueillent leurs hôtes avec une politesse raffinée.
The noble knights in the legend welcome their guests with refined courtesy.
Le photographe a choisi des visages gentils et expressifs pour cette campagne.
The photographer chose attractive, expressive faces for this campaign.
Ils ont trouvé de gentils appartements près de la gare, propres et bien éclairés.
They found some nice, fairly spacious apartments near the station, clean and well lit.
adjectivefeminine
Meanings
kind, amiable, well behaved, good
Commonly used to describe a person's character or behavior, indicating kindness and amiability.
courteous, gallant
Rather formal; denotes courteous, attentive manners; not “noble” in modern usage.
attractive, pretty
Used to describe physical appearance or attractiveness of things.
Examples
Ces fillettes sont gentilles avec leurs nouvelles camarades.
These little girls are kind to their new classmates.
Dans le roman, les dames gentilles accueillent les voyageurs avec courtoisie.
In the novel, the courteous noble ladies welcome the travelers.
Elle a choisi de gentilles robes d'été pour les vacances.
She chose some pretty summer dresses for the holidays.
Les bénévoles ont réuni de gentilles sommes pour rénover l'école.
The volunteers raised fairly substantial sums to renovate the school.