Learning Spanish: Describing People – A1 Level

Introduction

Hola! This article will help you start learning Spanish by focusing on a really useful skill: describing people. Being able to talk about someone’s appearance and personality is super helpful in everyday conversations – when meeting new people, talking about friends, or even ordering food!

Key Vocabulary – Appearance

Let’s learn some words to describe what someone looks like.

• Alto/a (ah-toh/ah) – Tall
• Bajo/a (bah-ho/ah) – Short
• Guapo/a (gah-po/ah) – Handsome / Beautiful
• Feo/a (fay-oh/ah) – Ugly / Beautiful (used ironically sometimes!)
• Rubio/a (roo-bee-oh/ah) – Blonde
• Moreno/a (moh-reh-noh/ah) – Brown-haired or tanned
• Pelo largo (peh-loh lah-roh-go) – Long hair
• Ojos azules (oy-hos ah-blues) – Blue eyes
• Ojos marrones (oy-hos mah-rohn-ess) – Brown eyes
• Ropa (roh-pah) – Clothes
• Falda (fal-dah) – Skirt
• Pantalones (pan-tah-loh-ness) – Pants

Example: “Ella es alta y tiene el pelo rubio.” (She is tall and has blonde hair.)

Key Vocabulary – Personality

Now let’s talk about what someone is like.

• Amable (ah-mah-bleh) – Kind
• Triste (tris-teh) – Sad
• Feliz (feh-leez) – Happy
• Divertido/a (dee-ver-tee-doh/ah) – Funny
• Inteligente (een-tleh-heehn-teh) – Intelligent
• Tímido/a (teen-dee-moh/ah) – Shy

Example: “Él es muy amable y divertido.” (He is very kind and funny.)

Putting it Together – Sample Dialogues

Dialogue 1: Meeting a New Person

Person A: “Hola, ¿cómo te llamas?” (Hello, what’s your name?)

Person B: “Me llamo Juan. Soy alto y tengo ojos marrones.” (My name is Juan. I am tall and have brown eyes.)

Person A: “Encantado, Juan! ¿Y tú?” (Pleased to meet you, Juan! And you?)

Dialogue 2: Describing a Friend

Person A: “¿Cómo está María?” (How is Maria?)

Person B: “María es una amiga muy amable y un poco tímida. Tiene pelo largo y ojos azules.” (Maria is a very kind friend and a little shy. She has long hair and blue eyes.)

Common Mistakes & Corrections

• Incorrect: “Ella es guapa.” (She is handsome/beautiful – used for women).
• Correct: “Ella es guapa.” (She is beautiful – used for women) or use “él” for a man.
• Incorrect: “Tengo pelo largo y ojos azules.” (I have long hair and blue eyes – as the speaker.)
• Correct: “Él tiene pelo largo y ojos azules.” (He has long hair and blue eyes). Pay attention to using él and ella correctly.

Practice!

Try describing your friend, a family member, or someone you saw today in Spanish! Don’t be afraid to make mistakes – that’s how you learn.