Décrire une Image — French picture-description phrases | Vocabulary
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The phrases to describe a photo (DELF speaking). This French describe a photo delf speaking vocabulary list gives you 20 essential words — from au premier plan (in the foreground) to à mon avis (in my opinion) — each with audio and its English translation. Use it to build the French words you need to talk about describe a photo delf speaking, then test yourself with the games below.
Décrire une Image
The phrases to describe a photo (DELF speaking)
La composition 🖼️
Ce que je vois 👀
Interpréter 💭
🎬 The 20-second version
5 quick questions on « Décrire une Image » — guess before the reveal. Practise with the free games → Open this short as a page — transcript included →
📘 How to describe an image in 3 steps
- This is a core DELF / school speaking task. Structure it: 1) présenter (cette image montre…) → 2) décrire (au premier plan… à l’arrière-plan…) → 3) interpréter (on dirait que…).
- Move through space in order: au premier plan (front) → au centre → à l’arrière-plan (back); then à gauche / à droite.
- Use on for a neutral describer: on voit, on aperçoit, on distingue — more natural than « je vois ».
- To hedge (you’re not sure): on dirait que…, il semble que…, peut-être que… — examiners love nuance.
- Finish with meaning: le thème est…, cette image illustre…, à mon avis, le message est…
🔊 Useful phrases
🔊 Example sentences
✍️ Practice
in the foreground = au ___ plan (front)
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premier
in the background = à l’___-plan (back)
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arrière
it looks like… (hedging) = on ___ que… (conditional idiom)
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dirait
🎮 Practise this with games
🎯 More practice — vocabulary recall — both directions
How do you say « in the foreground »? (recall)
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au premier plan
What does « au centre » mean? (recall)
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in the centre
How do you say « on the left / right »? (recall)
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à gauche / à droite
What does « devant / derrière » mean? (recall)
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in front / behind
How do you say « you can see »? (recall)
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on voit
What does « on aperçoit » mean? (recall)
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one can glimpse
How do you say « this picture shows »? (recall)
Show answer
cette image montre
What does « on dirait que » mean? (recall)
Show answer
it looks like
Go further: DELF B2 — a realistic study plan that works.
French describe a photo delf speaking vocabulary — FAQ
How do you say common describe a photo delf speaking words in French?
For example: in the foreground is « au premier plan », in the background is « à l’arrière-plan », in the centre is « au centre ». The full list above has 20 French describe a photo delf speaking words, each with audio so you can hear the pronunciation.
What are the most useful French describe a photo delf speaking words to learn first?
Start with the basics: au premier plan (in the foreground), à l’arrière-plan (in the background), au centre (in the centre), en haut / en bas (at the top / bottom), à gauche / à droite (on the left / right), au fond (at the back). Master these core French words before moving on to the rest of the list.
How can I memorise French describe a photo delf speaking vocabulary?
Learn the words in small themed groups, say each one out loud with the audio, and use it in a short sentence about your own life. Spaced repetition is what makes new vocabulary stick — see our guide to learning French vocabulary that sticks.
🎮 Practise this lesson
Games built from this exact page — turn what you just read into play: