Spanish · Elementary (A2) · Chapter 10 of 12
Describing people
Describir a las personas
Describe what people look like and what they're like, say what someone is wearing, and describe people in the past with the imperfect.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Describe what someone looks like with ser, tener and llevar
- Describe someone's personality
- Say what someone was like in the past
- Say which person you mean with que: la chica que lleva gafas
Listen
In Santander, Sofía is looking at old photos with her grandmother Rosario. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Sofía
Abuela, ¿quién es este chico tan guapo?
Grandma, who's this very good-looking young man?
Rosario
Es tu abuelo. Aquí tenía veinte años. Era alto y delgado, y tenía el pelo negro.
That's your grandfather. He was twenty here. He was tall and slim, and he had black hair.
Sofía
¡Qué guapo! ¿Y cómo era? ¿Era simpático?
How handsome! And what was he like? Was he nice?
Rosario
Sí, muy simpático y muy divertido. Pero también era un poco tímido.
Yes, very nice and very funny. But he was also a bit shy.
Sofía
¿Y la chica que lleva el vestido blanco? ¿Eres tú?
And the girl who's wearing the white dress? Is that you?
Rosario
Sí, soy yo, en las fiestas del pueblo. Ese día conocí a tu abuelo.
Yes, that's me, at the village festival. That day I met your grandfather.
Sofía
¡Qué bonito! Tenías el pelo muy largo.
How lovely! You had very long hair.
Rosario
Sí, y era rubia, como tú. Ahora tengo el pelo blanco y corto.
Yes, and I was blonde, like you. Now my hair is white and short.
Sofía
¿Y quién es el señor de la derecha, el que lleva gafas?
And who's the man on the right, the one who's wearing glasses?
Rosario
Es mi padre. Era muy serio, pero muy bueno.
That's my father. He was very serious, but very kind.
Sofía
Me encantan estas fotos, abuela.
I love these photos, Grandma.
Understand
What does he or she look like?
Spanish uses three verbs to describe someone's appearance. is for build and general looks: (She's tall). is for hair and eyes: (He has short hair), (She has blue eyes). (to wear) is for clothes, glasses and a beard: (He wears glasses).
means dark-haired or dark-skinned, and means blond. Adjectives agree as usual: , .
| / (tall / short) | / (long / short hair) | (glasses) |
| (slim) | (curly hair) | (a beard) |
| / (dark-haired / blond) | (blue eyes) | (a white dress) |
| (good-looking) | (brown eyes) | (jeans) |
What was he like? Describing in the past
To ask about someone's personality, say (What's he / she like?). In the past, it's (What was he / she like?).
Descriptions of people in the past use the imperfect (chapter 5): , , . The preterite is for events: (That day I met your grandfather).
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| / | nice, friendly |
| / | fun, funny |
| / | shy |
| / | serious |
| / | hard-working |
| kind, polite |
Que: the girl who…
To say which person or thing you mean, use (who, which, that) after the noun: (the girl who's wearing the white dress). works for people and things, and you can't leave it out as you often can in English: (the book I bought).
and mean “the one who” or “the one that”: (the one who's wearing glasses).
- La chica que lleva gafas es mi hermana.The girl who's wearing glasses is my sister.
- El señor que está a la derecha es mi padre.The man who's on the right is my father.
- Es la camisa que compré ayer.It's the shirt I bought yesterday.
More in the grammar: Adjectives: agreement and position · Ser and estar: two verbs for “to be” · The imperfect: describing the past · Relative pronouns: que, quien, lo que, donde
New words
- guapo / guapagood-looking, handsome, pretty
- alto / altatall · opposite: / (short)
- delgado / delgadaslim, thin
- el pelohair · masculine
- simpático / simpáticanice, friendly
- tímido / tímidashy
- llevarto wear; to carry · regular: , …
- el vestidodress · masculine
- las fiestas del pueblothe village festival · : village, small town
- conocer a alguiento meet someone (for the first time); to know someone · present: , …
- largo / largalong · opposite: / (short)
- rubio / rubiablond, blonde
- las gafasglasses · feminine plural
- serio / seriaserious
Practise
1.How do you say “She has long hair”?
2.Complete with the imperfect of : “My grandfather was very funny.”
My grandfather was very funny.
3.Complete the sentence: “The man who's wearing glasses is my father.”
The man who's wearing glasses is my father.
4.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.The girl who's wearing glasses is my sister.
5.Match the Spanish with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
6.What does ask?
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
Mi hermana es alta y tiene el pelo largo.
My sister is tall and has long hair.
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.