Beyond “Guapo/a”: Descriptive Spanish Adjectives for People

When learning Spanish, you’ll discover many adjectives beyond “guapo/a” (handsome/pretty) to describe people. Here’s a concise guide with Spanish adjectives to describe a person’s appearance, personality, and emotional states, along with short examples.

Physical Appearance

  • Alto/a – Tall: Example: Él es alto. (He is tall.)
  • Bajo/a – Short: Example: Ella es baja. (She is short.)
  • Delgado/a – Thin: Example: Juan es delgado. (Juan is thin.)
  • Gordito/a – Chubby: Example: El bebé es gordito. (The baby is chubby.)
  • Moreno/a – Dark-haired/skinned: Example: Ana es morena. (Ana is dark-haired.)
  • Rubio/a – Blonde: Example: Mi amigo es rubio. (My friend is blonde.)
  • Pelirrojo/a – Redhead: Example: La niña es pelirroja. (The girl is a redhead.)
  • Calvo/a – Bald: Example: Mi abuelo es calvo. (My grandfather is bald.)

Personality Traits

  • Amable – Kind: Example: Tu hermana es amable. (Your sister is kind.)
  • Generoso/a – Generous: Example: Pedro es generoso. (Pedro is generous.)
  • Honesto/a – Honest: Example: Soy honesta. (I am honest.)
  • Divertido/a – Fun: Example: Mis primos son divertidos. (My cousins are fun.)
  • Serio/a – Serious: Example: El profesor es serio. (The teacher is serious.)
  • Tímido/a – Shy: Example: El niño es tímido. (The boy is shy.)
  • Valiente – Brave: Example: Eres muy valiente. (You are very brave.)
  • Perezoso/a – Lazy: Example: No soy perezosa. (I am not lazy.)

Emotional States

  • Alegre – Happy: Example: Estoy alegre hoy. (I am happy today.)
  • Triste – Sad: Example: Ella está triste. (She is sad.)
  • Enojado/a – Angry: Example: Mi padre está enojado. (My father is angry.)
  • Emocionado/a – Excited: Example: Estamos emocionados. (We are excited.)
  • Nervioso/a – Nervous: Example: María está nerviosa. (María is nervous.)
  • Tranquilo/a – Calm: Example: El gato está tranquilo. (The cat is calm.)
  • Preocupado/a – Worried: Example: Estás preocupado. (You are worried.)
  • Sorprendido/a – Surprised: Example: Los niños están sorprendidos. (The children are surprised.)

Remember, most Spanish adjectives change form based on gender (-o for masculine, -a for feminine), but some like “alegre” remain the same. Using these Spanish adjectives to describe a person will help you express yourself more precisely in conversations.

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