Exploring the Spanish adjectives to describe a person

Adjectives are words that describe nouns. In other words, they make sharing more information about a person or thing we discuss. In Spanish, personality adjectives are words used to describe a person’s personality traits. You can describe their sense of humour, temperament, talents, and other important aspects of their personality. Personality adjectives in Spanish are descriptive adjectives.

Adjectives are used similarly in Spanish and English. They must always be used in conjunction with a noun or pronoun, but an adjective is not always required when using a noun or pronoun.

Remember that Spanish is a null-subject language, so you can use adjectives even if a noun or pronoun isn’t present, as long as the verb conjugation implies the noun. The most important distinction between English and Spanish personality adjectives is that adjectives in Spanish must agree in number and gender with the person or thing they are modifying.

Difference between English and Spanish adjectives

English	Spanish
He is fun.	Él es divertid o.
She is fun.	Ella es divertid a.
They are fun.	Ellos son divertid os.
They are fun.	Ellas son divertid as.

As you can see from the sentences above, English adjectives never change. Fun is fun, whether the person you are describing is male, female, or a group of people. In Spanish, the ending of the personality adjective divertido differs in each of the sentences above.

 This is because adjectives in Spanish must agree in noun and gender with the nouns they modify. In general, adjectives ending in -o (divertid o) describe masculine nouns. To make it female, simply replace the -o with -a (divertida). Adjectives ending in -e are gender-neutral and can be applied to male and female nouns. While indulging in Spanish-speaking practice, keep these differences in mind.

Personality traits in Spanish

While mastering basic Spanish words, you must learn basic Spanish adjectives to describe a person. The table below carries a detailed list of such adjectives. Make notes yourself and start learning them.

English	Spanish
Ambitious	Ambicioso
Funny	Gracioso
Outgoing	Extrovertido
Intelligent	Inteligente
Shy	Tímido
Creative	Creativo
Patient	Paciente
Charismatic	Carismático
Serious	Serio
Kind	Amable
Mean	Grosero
Scary	Aterrador
Unfriendly	Antipático
Impatient	Impaciente
Lazy	Perezoso
Brave	Valiente
Playful	Juguetón
Studious	Estudioso
Friendly	Amigable
Nice	Agradable
Sophisticated	Sofisticado
Calm	Tranquilo
Boring	Aburrido
Adventurous	Aventurero
Open-minded	De mente abierta
Extroverted	Extrovertido
Likable	Simpático
Clever	Astuto
Disorganized	Desorganizado
Sincere	Sincero
Smart	Listo
Straightforward	Directo
Pessimistic	Pesimista
Selfish	Egoísta
Uncultured	Inculto
Egocentric	Egocéntrico
Discreet	Discreto
Dishonest	Deshonesto
Naive	Ingenuo
Optimistic	Optimista
Generous	Generoso
Clumsy	Torpe
Wary	Desconfiado
Cheerful	Alegre
Hard-working	Trabajador
Polite	Educado
Nervous	Nervioso
Anxious	Ansioso
Unpleasant	Desagradable
Reckless	Descuidado
Thoughtful	Considerado
Affectionate	Cariñoso
Jealous	Celoso
Cowardly	Cobarde
Envious	Envidioso
Evil	Malo
Sensitive	Sensible
Agile	Ágil
Loving	Amoroso
Passionate	Apasionado
Attentive	Atento
Cautious	Cuidadoso
Cynical	Cínico
Cruel	Cruel
Careful	Cuidadoso
Weak	Débil
Depressed	Deprimido
Careless	Descuidado
Distant	Distante
Sweet	Dulce
Efficient	Eficiente
Intrusive	Entrometido
Demanding	Exigente
Eccentric	Eccéntrico
Cold	Frío
Grumpy	Gruñón
Impulsive	Impulsivo
Imaginative	Imaginativo
Immature	Inmaduro
Restless	Inquieto
Interesting	Interesante
Malicious	Malicioso
Bold	Intrepido
Liar	Mentiroso
Stingy	Tacaño
Pensive	Pensativo
Persevering	Perseverante
Practical	Práctico
Provocative	Provocador
Punctual	Puntual
Fussy	Quisquilloso
Reserved	Reservado
Ridiculous	Rídiculo
Confident	Seguro de sí mismo
Sensible	Sensato
Dirty	Sucio
Shallow	Superficial
Modest	Modesto
Humble	Humilde
Proud	Orgulloso
Sad	Triste
Pathetic	Patético
Talented	Talentoso
Trustworthy	Confiable
Thrifty	Ahorrativo
Respectful	Respetuoso
Relaxed	Relajado
Rude	Grosero
Bossy	Mandón
Stubborn	Testarudo
Smug	Presumido
Nosey	Entrometido
Picky	Caprichoso
Arrogant	Arrogante
Absent-minded	Distraído
Mischievous	Travieso
Cranky	Enojón
Mature	Maduro
Skillful	Hábil
Happy-go-lucky	Risueño
Tender	Tierno
Timid	Tímido
Witty	Ingenioso
Abusive	Abusivo
Annoying	Fastidioso

These adjectives can help you describe the way Spanish people look like. We recommend you generate flashcards to master these words and enrich your Spanish vocabulary.

Personality trait slang in Spanish

If you’ve spent time in a Spanish-speaking country, you’ve probably noticed that people use a lot of slang when communicating with friends. Of course, nobody will sound exactly like the sample conversations in your Spanish textbook, so it’s always a good idea to learn some slang when learning a new language. Here are some slang terms for character traits in Spanish:

English	Spanish
Vagabond	Vago
Hard-working	Chambeador
Lazy	Flojo
Nosey	Chismoso
Stingy	Codo
Annoying	Nefasto
Stubborn	Necio
Fussy	Mañoso
Cool	Bakan
Cool	Chévere
Ill-tempered	Sangrón
Rude	Grosero

Personality traits in Spanish example sentences

Now that you’ve learned different Spanish adjectives to describe a person, you’re probably looking for concrete examples of how to use them in sentences. Check out the table below for some useful example sentences using character adjectives in Spanish.

English	Spanish
He is very studious.	Él es muy estudioso.
My mom is a very ambitious businesswoman.	Mi mamá es una empresaria ambiciosa.
They are very fun.	Ellos son muy divertidos.
The math teachers seem very boring to me.	Las maestras de matemáticas me parecen muy aburridas.
I am very extroverted.	Yo soy muy extrovertido.
My cat is very affectionate.	Mi gata es muy cariñosa.
My dog is very agile.	Mi perro es muy ágil.
Your brother sounds very reckless.	Tu hermano suena muy descuidado.
Don’t be stupid!	¡No seas tonto!
I don’t know him, but he seems very quiet.	No lo conozco, pero se ve muy reservado.

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Frequently asked questions

What are some common positive Spanish adjectives for describing a person?

Common positive Spanish adjectives include “amable” (kind), “inteligente” (intelligent), “cariñoso/a” (affectionate), and “valiente” (brave).

How do I express physical appearance in Spanish when describing a person?

Use adjectives like “alto/a” (tall), “delgado/a” (slim), “guapo/a” (handsome/beautiful), or “rubio/a” (blond) for physical descriptions.

What adjectives can be used to describe someone’s personality in Spanish?

Personality adjectives include “alegre” (cheerful), “comprensivo/a” (understanding), “ambicioso/a” (ambitious), and “sociable” (sociable).

Conclusion

In this comprehensive guide, we have explored a long list of Spanish adjectives used to describe a person. Mastering these adjectives will help you advance your vocabulary list to a remarkable extent.

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