Describing yourself and others I. Appearance.

by Alba Castro

¡Hola! Let's learn to describe yourself and other people.

This is an essential in Spanish for beginners.

This is all the vocab you need to describe yourself (general stuff, face features and basic style).

To describe other people just change the word in bold as explained below each section.

Eyes and hair

  • Tengo los ojos ...

    azules -I have blue eyes

    marrones -I have brown eyes

    negros -I have black eyes

    verdes -I have green eyes

    grises -I have grey eyes

    To describe other people just change tengo (I have) for tiene (he/she has).

    For example:

    Tiene los ojos verdes - He/she has green eyes.

  • Tengo el pelo...

    negro - I have black hair

    marrón/castaño - I have brown hair

    rubio - I have blond hair

    pelirrojo - I have red hair

    gris/blanco - I have gray/white hair

    corto - I have short hair largo - I have long hair mediano - I have medium hair

    ondulado- I have wavy hair

    rizado - I have curly hair

    liso - I have straight hair

    teñido - I have dyed hair

    To describe other people just change tengo (I have) for tiene (he/she has).

    Ex: Paula tiene el pelo liso - Paula has straight hair.

General body description

  • Soy...

    alto/a - I am tall

    bajo/a - I am short

    mediano/a - I am medium

    rellenito/a - I am chubby

    delgado/a - I am slim

    musculado/a - I am muscular

    moreno/a de piel - I have dark skin

    pálido/a - I am pale

    joven - I am young

    maduro/a - I am mature

    mayor - I am elder

    calvo - I am bald

    To describe other people just change soy (I am) for es (he/she is).

    Ex: Pedro es joven, bajo y rellenito - Pedro is young, short and chubby.

more!

  • Tengo...

    canas - I have white hairs

    barba - I have a beard

    bigote - I have a moustache

    la frente ancha - I have a wide forehead

    la frente estrecha - I have a narrow forehead

    la nariz pequeña - I have a small nose

    la nariz grande - I have a big nose

    las cejas finas - I have thin brows

    las cejas pobladas - I have thick brows

    rasgos exóticos - I have exotic features

    los ojos pequeños - I have small eyes

    los ojos grandes - I have big eyes

    una sonrisa bonita - I have a nice smile

    To describe other people just change tengo (I have) for tiene (he/she has).

    Ex: Laura tiene los ojos grandes y la frente ancha - Laura has big eyes and a wide forehead.

Things you wear

  • Llevo...

    gafas -I wear glasses

    ropa formal/elegante - I wear formal/elegant clothes

    ropa casual/informal - I wear casual/informal clothes

    ropa deportiva - I wear sporty clothes

    ropa de marca - I wear designer clothes

    pestañas postizas - I wear fake lashes

    maquillaje - I wear make up

    colorete - I wear blush

    pintalabios - I wear lipstic

    raya de ojos - I wear eyeliner

    máscara/rimmel de pestañas - I wear mascara

    To describe other people just change llevo (I wear) for lleva (he/she wears).

    Ex: María lleva ropa casual y gafas - María wears casual clothes and glasses.

And that's everything!

The adjectives don't change, just the verb.

Practice

Now, try to translate this text and comment your answer on my Facebook page (Vivatutor)!

"Elena tiene treinta y tres años. Es joven y tiene una sonrisa bonita. Tiene el pelo negro, largo y liso. Es bastante delgada pero no es musculada, y es alta. Tiene la nariz grande y la frente estrecha. Además tiene los ojos grandes y azules.

Normalmente lleva pintalabios rojo y máscara de pestañas. También lleva ropa elegante, pero a veces lleva ropa informal o deportiva."

¡Hasta pronto! / See you soon!