How something is

These fifty adjectives describe surfaces, tastes, states and shapes, and most of them have a clean English partner. One does not. Gênant comes from gêner, which is to get in somebody's way, and the adjective keeps all of that at once. A noise that stops you working is gênant, and there English says « annoying » or « in the way ». A silence that nobody knows how to fill is gênant, and there English says « awkward ». A question you would rather not answer is gênant, and there English says « embarrassing ». The one thing it never means is « ashamed »: that is the person, not the situation, and French says gêné for them. Je suis gêné is I feel awkward; c'est gênant is the thing that made me feel it.