French Phrase
Elle est très gentille.
Meaning
The sentence means ‘She is very kind.’ It emphasizes the kindness of a female person or a feminine‑gendered object, using the intensifier ‘très’ to stress the quality.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to compliment a woman, a girl, or any feminine noun (e.g., a cat) for her kindness. It works in both casual conversation and more polite contexts, though the tone can be softened with a smile or a softer voice.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Elleesttrèsgentille
Subject pronoun (Elle)
‘Elle’ is the third‑person singular feminine subject pronoun, used for ‘she’ or ‘it’ when referring to a feminine noun.
Verb être (est)
‘est’ is the present‑tense third‑person singular form of the verb ‘être’ (to be). It links the subject to a description.
Intensifier (très)
‘très’ means ‘very’ and is placed before adjectives to increase their intensity.
Adjective agreement (gentille)
‘gentille’ is the feminine singular form of the adjective ‘gentil’, agreeing in gender and number with the subject ‘elle’.
🗨In Conversation
Tu as vu comment Marie a aidé les enfants hier ?
Did you see how Marie helped the kids yesterday?
Oui, elle est très gentille.
Yes, she is very kind.
✕Common Mistakes
Elle est très gentil.
The adjective must agree with the feminine subject; use ‘gentille’ not ‘gentil’.
Elle est tres gentille.
The accent on ‘très’ is essential; without it the word changes meaning.
Elle très est gentille.
Do not invert the order; ‘très’ must come before the adjective, not after the verb.
↔Alternatives
Elle est vraiment gentille.
She is really kind.
C’est une fille très gentille.
She is a very kind girl.
Elle a un cœur en or.
She has a heart of gold.
Cultural Tip
In French, compliments about personality are often expressed with adjectives like ‘gentil/gentille’. However, avoid over‑praising strangers; a modest ‘c’est gentil’ is more common in first meetings. Also, note that ‘gentil’ can sound slightly informal; in formal writing you might prefer ‘bienveillante’. Regional accents may affect pronunciation, but the written form stays the same across France, Canada, and other Francophone areas.