gentils

Gentils is the plural form of the French adjective gentil, which means kind, nice, courteous, or pleasant. It is used to describe people, actions, or atmospheres in a positive sense. Examples include des enfants gentils (kind children) or des personnes gentilles (friendly people). The word can also convey a mild degree of politeness or amiability in social interactions.

Etymology and history: Gentil comes from Old French and ultimately from Latin gentil, meaning belonging to a gens or clan, and by extension noble or refined. Historically, the term signified noble birth or cultured manners, and over time its sense broadened to include general civility and kindness. The modern sense of "kind" is now dominant in everyday usage.

Grammar and usage: Gentil agrees in gender and number with the noun: masculin singulier gentil; féminin singulier gentille; masculin pluriel gentils; féminin pluriel gentilles. It is common to encounter the noun gentillesse, meaning kindness or kindnesses, derived from the same root. Expressions such as gentil comme tout (very kind) or merci, c’était très gentil de votre part illustrate its flexible use in conversation.

Related forms and notes: In formal or literary French, synonyms include aimable or bienveillant, which can carry a slightly different nuance. The related noun gentillesse emphasizes the quality of kindness. In other Romance languages, cognates exist with similar roots but different everyday usage.

Cross-linguistic note: The root gentil appears in several languages with related meanings, though separate words in each language can have distinct contemporary senses. In English, the cognate gentil is rarely used; the modern meaning of gentil in French remains common in everyday speech.