Describing People in Spanish
This online audio lesson will teach you how to describe people in Spanish. With these Spanish adjectives on hand you'll be able to talk about a person’s appearance in Spanish and the kind of person they are as well. This will really spice up your Spanish conversation skills!
Resources for further reading:
- Imagine you’re traveling in Spanish and you need to ask for directions in Spanish.
- Perfect your Spanish pronunciation
Describing People in Spanish
If you are asking what a person is like you could hear anything as an answer. A person may be short, tall, fat, skinny, nice, mean, rich or poor. All of these qualities are descriptions and this is what this lesson is about. Let’s think about how we might describe a person. What about their hair?
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Sergio tiene pelo corto.
Sergio has short hair.
Elisa tiene pelo largo.
Elisa has long hair.
Ella tiene pelo medio largo.
She has medium-length hair.
Él tiene pelo lacio.
He has straight hair.
Ella tiene pelo ondulado.
She has wavy hair.
Itzel tiene pelo rizado.
Itzel has curly hair.
Maria tiene pelo castaño.
Maria has brown hair.
Pedro tiene pelo oscuro.
Pedro has dark hair.
Olivia tiene pelo rubio.
Olivia has blonde hair.
And for a bald person, you can say…
Él está calvo.
He is bald.
What about their eye and skin color?
Él tiene ojos marrones.
He has brown eyes.
Ella tiene ojos verdes.
She has green eyes.
Él tiene ojos azules.
He has blue eyes.
Ella tiene ojos azul-grises.
She has blue-grey eyes.
Ella tiene piel morena.
She is dark-skinned.
Él tiene piel blanca.
He is fair-skinned.
Ella tiene piel pálida.
She is pale-skinned.
What about other features, like height and weight?
Ella es baja.
She is short.
Él es alto.
He is tall.
Ella es delgada.
She is thin.
Él es gordo.
He is fat.
Is there a particular feature that distinguishes them from other people?
Ella tiene una boca ancha.
She has a wide mouth.
Él tiene una boca pequeña.
He has a narrow mouth.
Ella tiene hoyuelos.
She has dimples.
Él tiene un lunar.
He has a mole.
Ella tiene una mancha de nacimiento.
She has a birth mark.
Él tiene pecas.
He has freckles.
Ella tiene labios carnosos.
She has thick lips.
Él tiene cejas pobladas.
He has bushy eyebrows.
Ella tiene orejas grandes.
She has big ears.
Él tiene una cicatriz.
He has a scar.
Ella tiene una frente despejada.
She has a high forehead.
There are a few expressions to describe the type of nose your friend may have...
Él tiene la nariz chata.
He has a button nose.
Ella tiene la nariz grande.
She has a big nose.
Él tiene la nariz de boxeador.
He has a boxer's nose.
Ella tiene la nariz respingona.
She has an upturned nose.
Él tiene la nariz torcida.
He has a broken nose.
To describe someone with a beer belly, say...
Él tiene la curva de la felicidad
He has a beer belly
Which literally means, 'He has the curve of happiness!'
Now, what about other abilities and features?
Ella es linda.
She is sweet.
Él es guapo.
He is handsome.
Ella es bella.
She is pretty.
Él es feo.
He is ugly.
Ella está bien arreglada.
She is well-dressed.
Él está desaliñado.
He is scruffy.
What sort of a person is she? What kind of personality does he have?
Ella es abierta / franca.
She is open / frank.
Él es callado.
He is quiet.
Ella es alegre.
She is cheerful.
Ella es ambiciosa.
She is ambitious.
Él es simpático.
He is friendly.
Ella es inteligente.
She is intelligent.
Él es paciente.
He is patient.
Ella es cariñosa.
She is affectionate.
Él es torpe.
He is clumsy.
Ella es seria.
She is serious.
Él es amable.
He is kind.
Ella es trabajadora.
She is hard-working.
Él es sensible.
He is sensitive.
Ella es perezosa.
She is lazy.
Él es divertido.
He is funny.
If you spot someone who’s very beautiful on the street, you can comment to your friend…
¡Que guapa!
She's really beautiful!
And your friend (who happens to be a girl) can turn to you and say...
¡Él no está nada mal tampoco!
He's not bad either!
Can’t get enough of Spanish? Here are some more free Spanish lessons to boost your Spanish:
- Planning on eating at a restaurant in Spain? This free online Spanish audio lesson on eating in Spanish is at the top of the menu!
- Let's go shopping in Spanish!
See you soon! ¡Hasta pronto!
Mauricio Evlampieff: Rocket Spanish
Make It Stick With Rocket Reinforcement
Reinforce your learning from this lesson with the Rocket Reinforcement activities!