French · Emotions & Descriptions
"Tall" in French: grand(e)
grand(e)
Tall in French is grand for masculine and grande for feminine when talking about people. Il est grand means he is tall. Plus grand que compares heights.
Meeting a friend
Ton frère est vraiment grand.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce grand(e)
Say it
grahn / GRAHND
/ɡʁɑ̃/ /ɡʁɑ̃d/
grahn (nasal an). Grande sounds the d: GRAHND. Same adjective as big — context is height for people.
"Tall" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| grand / grande | tall / big Height for people; size for things. | Height for people; size for things. |
| être grand | to be tall Describing someone. | Describing someone. |
| plus grand que | taller than Comparisons. | Comparisons. |
| très grand | very tall Emphasis. | Emphasis. |
How to use grand(e) in real life
- 1Meeting a friend
Ton frère est vraiment grand.
Your brother is really tall.
Grand for a man.
- 2Team photo
Elle est plus grande que moi de dix centimètres.
She is ten centimeters taller than me.
Plus grande que.
- 3Clothes
Il me faut un manteau pour quelqu'un de grand.
I need a coat for someone tall.
De grand.
Mistakes English speakers make with grand(e)
Incorrect: Il est tall.
Correct: Il est grand.
Use grand, not English tall.
Incorrect: Elle est grand.
Correct: Elle est grande.
Feminine agreement: grande.
Good to know
French uses grand for both tall people and big things. Haut is high (a high shelf), not usually a tall person. Measure talk loves un mètre quatre-vingts.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Describing someone at the door
ChatPal
C'est le grand garçon blond ?
Is it the tall blond guy?
You
Oui, il est très grand, tu le verras.
Yes, he's very tall — you'll see him.
ChatPal
Je lui ouvre.
I'll open for him.
You
Merci.
Thanks.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Tall" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Tall" in French
How do you say tall in French?
Grand / grande.
Tall vs big?
Same adjective; with people grand often means tall.
How do you say taller than?
Plus grand / grande que.
How do you pronounce grand?
grahn (nasal).
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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