A short bio often needs only a few well-chosen words. In this workshop you will work with a small set of ready-made French phrases and decide which one fits a person, which form agrees with a male or female writer, and how to reply when someone asks what you put in your bio. You will read each phrase, check its meaning in English, then use it in three short tasks. The phrases stay the same; your job is to choose the right one and place it correctly.
Two ways to describe yourself: noun phrases and simple sentences
Some bio lines are noun phrases with no verb. «Étudiant en informatique» is a good example: it names a field of study and a level, and it works as a label rather than a full sentence. Other lines are complete simple sentences. «J'aime les voyages et la cuisine» uses a subject and a verb, then lists two things the writer likes. Both styles are common in a bio, and both are short. When you read a phrase, first ask: is there a verb here, or is this just a label? That tells you whether you are looking at a noun phrase or a sentence. Then check the articles. In «J'aime les voyages et la cuisine» the nouns keep their articles, so the line reads smoothly as a list of likes.
Agreement: matching the adjective to the writer
French adjectives can change form depending on who is described. «Passionnée de photographie» shows a feminine form: the adjective ends in -e and matches a female writer. A male writer would use passionné. The same pattern appears in «Toujours prêt à apprendre», a short motto-like phrase where the adjective also has a masculine and a feminine form. The supplied form is masculine; a female writer would use prête. Before you copy a phrase into a bio, decide whether the writer is male or female, then choose the matching form. If you are writing about yourself, the form must match you. If you are describing someone else, it must match that person. Getting this right is a small change that makes the line look natural.
Asking and answering about a bio
In a friendly exchange, one person asks what the other put in a bio, and the other answers with the exact line. «Salut ! Tu as mis quoi dans ta bio Instagram ?» is the question, and «J'ai écrit « Étudiante en histoire, passionnée de cinéma ».» is the answer, which quotes a bio line inside the reply. Notice that the answer repeats the phrase as a quotation, so the listener hears the exact words. Later in the same exchange, «C'est bien. Moi, j'ai mis « Toujours prêt à voyager ».» shows the first speaker sharing a different motto, and «Simple et efficace. Tu pourrais ajouter « Basé à Paris ».» responds with a short comment and a suggestion to add a location line. When you practice, keep the roles clear: one person asks, the other answers with a quoted phrase, and then they swap. You do not need to invent new phrases; use the ones you have already read and understood.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
Étudiant en informatique
Computer science student (male)
ay-tew-dyahn ahn an-for-ma-teek
Passionnée de photographie
Passionate about photography (female)
pa-syo-nay duh fo-to-gra-fee
J'aime les voyages et la cuisine
I like travel and cooking
zhem lay vwa-yazh ay la kwee-zeen
Toujours prêt à apprendre
Always ready to learn (male)
too-zhoor preh ah ah-prahn-druh
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
Salut ! Tu as mis quoi dans ta bio Instagram ?
Hi! What did you put in your Instagram bio?J'ai écrit « Étudiante en histoire, passionnée de cinéma ».
I wrote “History student, passionate about cinema”.C'est bien. Moi, j'ai mis « Toujours prêt à voyager ».
That's good. Me, I put “Always ready to travel”.Simple et efficace. Tu pourrais ajouter « Basé à Paris ».
Simple and effective. You could add “Based in Paris”.Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Guided exchange: ask and answer about a bio
Two friends are talking about their social media profiles. One asks what the other put in the bio, and the other answers with a quoted line. You will play both roles, using the recordings as your script.
Your task: First, read «Salut ! Tu as mis quoi dans ta bio Instagram ?» aloud as the question. Then read «J'ai écrit « Étudiante en histoire, passionnée de cinéma ».» aloud as the answer, keeping the quoted bio line inside it. After that, swap roles: read «C'est bien. Moi, j'ai mis « Toujours prêt à voyager ».» as the person sharing a motto, and read «Simple et efficace. Tu pourrais ajouter « Basé à Paris ».» as the friend who comments and suggests an addition. Do the whole exchange twice, once for each role.
Reply comprehension: choose the matching bio line
Imagine you hear someone answer the question about their bio. You need to decide which written line matches what they said. The answer is one of the recorded phrases.
Your task: Read «J'ai écrit « Étudiante en histoire, passionnée de cinéma ».» carefully. It contains a quoted bio line about being a history student and passionate about cinema. Now look at these three options and choose the one that matches the quoted line: (a) a line about being ready to travel, (b) a line about being a history student and passionate about cinema, (c) a line about liking travel and cooking. Say your choice aloud, then read the matching recording to confirm.
Recall with correct roles: who says what
The same two friends are talking, but now the lines are mixed up. You will put them back in order and say who says each one. This checks that you remember the roles, not just the words.
Your task: Here are four lines from the exchange, out of order: «Simple et efficace. Tu pourrais ajouter « Basé à Paris ».», «Salut ! Tu as mis quoi dans ta bio Instagram ?», «C'est bien. Moi, j'ai mis « Toujours prêt à voyager ».», «J'ai écrit « Étudiante en histoire, passionnée de cinéma ».». Decide the correct order and say which speaker says each line. Then read the whole exchange aloud in the correct order, using the speaker labels to guide you.
Common questions
How do I know if a bio phrase should be masculine or feminine?
Look at the adjective in the phrase. In «Passionnée de photographie» the form is feminine, matching a female writer. In «Toujours prêt à apprendre» the form is masculine, matching a male writer. Decide who the bio describes, then choose the matching form. If you are writing about yourself, the form must match you.
Can I mix a noun phrase and a sentence in the same bio?
Yes. «Étudiant en informatique» is a noun phrase with no verb, and «J'aime les voyages et la cuisine» is a full simple sentence. Both are short and both work in a bio. You can use one style or combine them, as long as each line is clear and the articles are kept where they appear.
Sources and further reading
- french: short instagram bio phrasesChecked September 2026
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