francesa
/frahn-SEH-sah/
French
When used as an adjective, 'francesa' describes something feminine that is French, like culture, food, or style.
francesa(Adjective)
French
?describing a feminine noun (e.g., food, language, culture)
of France
?as in something belonging to France
📝 In Action
La Torre Eiffel es una estructura francesa muy famosa.
A1The Eiffel Tower is a very famous French structure.
Me encanta la sopa de cebolla francesa.
A2I love French onion soup.
Mi amiga habla la lengua francesa con fluidez.
B1My friend speaks the French language fluently.
💡 Grammar Points
Gender Agreement
This word is the feminine form. You must use 'francesa' when describing a noun that is feminine (like 'casa' or 'cultura') and 'francés' when describing a masculine noun (like 'vino' or 'idioma').
❌ Common Pitfalls
Mixing Genders
Mistake: "El queso francesa es delicioso."
Correction: El queso francés es delicioso. ('Queso' is masculine, so the adjective must be 'francés'.)
⭐ Usage Tips
Placement
Like most Spanish adjectives, 'francesa' usually comes after the noun it describes: 'la película francesa' (the French movie).
As a noun, 'francesa' refers to a Frenchwoman, a female citizen of France.
📝 In Action
Mi nueva jefa es francesa y se llama Camille.
A1My new boss is a Frenchwoman and her name is Camille.
Esa francesa ha vivido aquí por veinte años.
A2That French lady has lived here for twenty years.
💡 Grammar Points
Using the Article
When using the word as a noun, you almost always need an article (like 'una' or 'la') before it: 'La francesa compró pan' (The Frenchwoman bought bread).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using Masculine Form
Mistake: "Mi hermana es francés."
Correction: Mi hermana es francesa. (Use the feminine form 'francesa' when talking about a female.)
⭐ Usage Tips
Capitalization Rule
In Spanish, words for nationalities and languages (like 'francesa') are generally NOT capitalized, unlike in English.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: francesa
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'francesa' as an adjective?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I capitalize 'francesa'?
No. In Spanish, words for nationalities and languages (like 'francesa', 'español', 'italiano') are written in lowercase, unless they start a sentence.
What is the difference between 'francesa' and 'francés'?
'Francesa' is the feminine form (used for women or feminine things). 'Francés' is the masculine form (used for men or masculine things). They both mean 'French.'