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Vocabulary
désagréable

A2 adjective #5,000 most common 3 min read

désagréable

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Practice it Examples

§ Understanding 'désagréable'

Alright, let's talk about the French adjective 'désagréable'. It's a useful one, and pretty straightforward. It means 'unpleasant' or 'disagreeable'. Think of it as the opposite of 'agréable' (pleasant, agreeable).

DEFINITION: Unpleasant, disagreeable.

Just like in English, you can use 'désagréable' to describe many different things: a person, a situation, a smell, a taste, a sound, a feeling, and so on. It's quite versatile.

§ How to use 'désagréable' with nouns

Since 'désagréable' is an adjective, it needs to agree in gender and number with the noun it describes. However, good news! 'Désagréable' is one of those adjectives that doesn't change for gender. It's the same whether the noun is masculine or feminine. It only changes for number (singular vs. plural).

Singular: désagréable
Plural: désagréables

Let's see some examples:

C'est une odeur désagréable.

This means: It's an unpleasant smell. ('odeur' is feminine, but 'désagréable' stays the same).

Il a eu un accident désagréable.

This means: He had an unpleasant accident. ('accident' is masculine, and 'désagréable' still stays the same).

Ces remarques étaient très désagréables.

This means: Those remarks were very unpleasant. ('remarques' is feminine plural, so 'désagréable' becomes 'désagréables').

Nous avons eu des moments désagréables.

This means: We had some unpleasant moments. ('moments' is masculine plural, so 'désagréable' becomes 'désagréables').

§ Using 'désagréable' with verbs like 'être'

You'll often use 'désagréable' with the verb 'être' (to be) or other linking verbs. This is just like saying 'it is unpleasant' or 'he is disagreeable'.

Ce temps est vraiment désagréable.

This means: This weather is really unpleasant.

La situation est devenue désagréable.

This means: The situation became unpleasant.

§ Common phrases and prepositions

While 'désagréable' doesn't specifically require a particular preposition in most cases, you might see it combined with 'pour' (for) or 'à' (to) when you want to specify *who* or *what* it's unpleasant for.

C'était très désagréable pour tout le monde.

This means: It was very unpleasant for everyone.

Le bruit était désagréable à entendre.

This means: The noise was unpleasant to hear.

§ Quick recap

Here's what you need to remember about 'désagréable':

It means 'unpleasant' or 'disagreeable'.
It doesn't change for gender (masculine or feminine nouns).
It changes for number: 'désagréable' (singular), 'désagréables' (plural).
It usually comes after the noun.
It's often used with 'être' (to be).

Keep practicing with these examples, and you'll be using 'désagréable' like a pro in no time!

Fun Fact

The 'dés-' prefix in French often indicates the opposite or removal of something, similar to 'un-' or 'dis-' in English. So, 'désagréable' literally means 'un-agreeable' or 'dis-agreeable'.

Examples by Level

Le bruit constant de la circulation rendait l'atmosphère de l'appartement très désagréable.

The constant traffic noise made the apartment's atmosphere very unpleasant.

Here, 'désagréable' modifies 'atmosphère' (feminine singular), so it remains unchanged as it's an adjective ending in -e.

Elle a eu une expérience désagréable lors de son dernier voyage, ce qui l'a découragée de repartir.

She had an unpleasant experience on her last trip, which discouraged her from going again.

'Désagréable' modifies 'expérience' (feminine singular). No change.

Les nouvelles économiques étaient particulièrement désagréables à entendre pour les investisseurs.

The economic news was particularly disagreeable to hear for investors.

'Désagréables' modifies 'nouvelles' (feminine plural). It takes an 's'.

Il a une tendance désagréable à interrompre les gens quand ils parlent.

He has an unpleasant tendency to interrupt people when they speak.

'Désagréable' modifies 'tendance' (feminine singular). No change.

Après la pluie, l'air était humide et désagréable, rendant la promenade moins agréable.

After the rain, the air was humid and unpleasant, making the walk less enjoyable.

'Désagréable' modifies 'air' (masculine singular). No change.

Ce parfum a une odeur désagréable qui me donne mal à la tête.

This perfume has an unpleasant smell that gives me a headache.

'Désagréable' modifies 'odeur' (feminine singular). No change.

La discussion est devenue désagréable lorsque des sujets politiques ont été abordés.

The discussion became unpleasant when political topics were brought up.

'Désagréable' modifies 'discussion' (feminine singular). No change.

Ces remarques désagréables ont vraiment blessé ses sentiments.

Those unpleasant remarks really hurt her feelings.

'Désagréables' modifies 'remarques' (feminine plural). It takes an 's'.

Word Origin

From Old French 'desagreable'

Original meaning: Unpleasing

Romance

Cultural Context

The word 'désagréable' is widely used in French to describe anything from an unpleasant taste or smell to a disagreeable person or situation. It's a very common adjective, and you'll hear it frequently in everyday conversations. While similar to the English 'disagreeable', it often carries a slightly softer connotation, sometimes just meaning 'not pleasant' rather than strongly objectionable.