Spanish Adjectives to Describe a Person (50 Words)
🇪🇸 Spanish · 50 cards · A2 · by Lucía Herrera
These are the fifty adjectives my students reach for first when they describe a friend, a boss or a photo of their family: half looks, half personality. The words themselves are easy; what trips people up is everything around them. Endings move with gender and number (trabajador / trabajadora), some never move (amable, egoísta, joven), and a few change meaning with ser or estar: es listo is clever, está listo is ready. Others are simply blunt — gordo, feo, viejo — so read the note before you say them about a real person. Learn every card with its sentence: that is where the agreement lives.
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How to use this deck
Flip through the cards, then switch to Quiz. Tap the play button on any row to hear it. The full table below is there to read, print or copy into your own flashcard app.
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All 50 cards
| # | Spanish | English | Example | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | alto Feminine: alta. Also means 'high' for objects. | tall | Tu hermano es más alto que yo. Your brother is taller than me. | |
| 2 | bajo Feminine: baja. 'Bajito' sounds softer and friendlier. Never use 'corto' for people. | short (in height) | Es un poco bajo para jugar al baloncesto. He's a bit short to play basketball. | |
| 3 | joven Same form for both genders; plural jóvenes. | young | Se ve muy joven en esta foto. He looks very young in this photo. | |
| 4 | mayor Same form for both genders. The polite word for an older person; 'viejo' about people can sound disrespectful. | old, elderly | Mi vecina es mayor y vive sola. My neighbour is elderly and lives alone. | |
| 5 | guapo Feminine: guapa. 'Ser guapo' = be good-looking; 'estar guapo' = look great right now. In Mexico 'bonita' and 'lindo' are heard more often. | good-looking, handsome, pretty | Estás muy guapo con ese traje. You look really good in that suit. | |
| 6 | feo Feminine: fea. Harsh about a person; fine about things or situations. | ugly | Dice que es feo, pero a mí me gusta. He says he's ugly, but I like him. | |
| 7 | delgado Feminine: delgada. Neutral and polite, unlike 'flaco' or 'gordo'. | slim, thin | Está más delgado desde que corre. He's slimmer since he started running. | |
| 8 | gordo Feminine: gorda. Rude in Spain. In Mexico and Argentina 'gordo/gordito' is often affectionate between close people. | fat | No le digas gordo, se enfada. Don't call him fat, he gets annoyed. | |
| 9 | fuerte Same form for both genders. Can also describe someone who is emotionally tough. | strong | A sus ochenta años sigue fuerte. At eighty he's still strong. | |
| 10 | rubio Feminine: rubia. | blond, fair-haired | Sus hijos son rubios como su madre. Her children are blond like their mother. | |
| 11 | moreno Feminine: morena. In Spain usually 'dark-haired'; in Latin America often skin tone. 'Estar moreno' = be tanned. | dark-haired, dark-skinned, tanned | Es moreno y lleva barba. He has dark hair and a beard. | |
| 12 | pelirrojo Feminine: pelirroja. Note the double r. | red-haired, ginger | En mi clase hay un niño pelirrojo. There's a red-haired boy in my class. | |
| 13 | calvo Feminine: calva. 'Quedarse calvo' is the normal way to say 'go bald'. | bald | Se quedó calvo a los treinta. He went bald at thirty. | |
| 14 | flaco Feminine: flaca. Very common in Latin America, also as a friendly nickname: '¿qué tal, flaco?' | skinny | Estás muy flaco, ¿comes bien? You're very skinny, are you eating properly? | |
| 15 | elegante Same form for both genders. 'Ir elegante' = to be smartly dressed. | elegant, smartly dressed | Tu padre siempre va elegante al trabajo. Your father always dresses smartly for work. | |
| 16 | simpático Feminine: simpática. Not 'sympathetic' — for that say 'comprensivo'. | nice, friendly, likeable | ¡Qué simpático es el vecino nuevo! The new neighbour is so nice! | |
| 17 | antipático Feminine: antipática. The direct opposite of simpático; fairly strong criticism. | unfriendly, unpleasant | No me cae bien, me parece antipático. I don't like him, he seems unfriendly to me. | |
| 18 | amable Same form for both genders. Standard polite response formula. | kind | Gracias, eres muy amable. Thank you, that's very kind of you. | |
| 19 | inteligente Same form for both genders. | intelligent | Es la persona más inteligente que conozco. She's the most intelligent person I know. | |
| 20 | listo Feminine: lista. 'Ser listo' = clever; 'estar listo' = ready. Don't mix them up. | clever, smart | Ese niño es listo para su edad. That boy is clever for his age. | |
| 21 | tonto Feminine: tonta. Mild — almost affectionate between friends, but an insult if said seriously. | silly, stupid | No seas tonto, claro que puedes. Don't be silly, of course you can. | |
| 22 | trabajador Feminine: trabajadora. As a noun it means 'worker'. | hardworking | Mi compañero es trabajador y puntual. My colleague is hardworking and punctual. | |
| 23 | perezoso Feminine: perezosa. In everyday speech people say 'vago' (Spain) or 'flojo' (Mexico) more often. | lazy | Mi hermano es muy perezoso: nunca ayuda en casa. My brother is very lazy: he never helps at home. | |
| 24 | divertido Feminine: divertida. A 'divertido' person is fun to be with; 'gracioso' is funny in the joke-telling sense. | fun, funny | Tus amigos son divertidísimos. Your friends are so much fun. | |
| 25 | aburrido Feminine: aburrida. 'Ser aburrido' = boring; 'estar aburrido' = bored. | boring | El profesor nuevo es un poco aburrido. The new teacher is a bit boring. | |
| 26 | serio Feminine: seria. Also means reliable: 'una persona seria' is someone you can trust. | serious | Parece serio, pero cuenta buenos chistes. He seems serious, but he tells good jokes. | |
| 27 | alegre Same form for both genders. | cheerful | Es una niña alegre: canta todo el día. She's a cheerful girl: she sings all day. | |
| 28 | triste Same form for both genders. Almost always with 'estar' for people; 'ser triste' describes a thing or a story as sad. | sad | Hoy está triste porque perdió el partido. He's sad today because he lost the match. | |
| 29 | tímido Feminine: tímida. | shy | De pequeño yo era muy tímido. As a child I was very shy. | |
| 30 | hablador Feminine: habladora. In some countries it can also imply a gossip. | talkative, chatty | En clase, él es el más hablador. In class, he's the chattiest one. | |
| 31 | callado Feminine: callada. Used for people; for a quiet place say 'tranquilo' or 'silencioso'. | quiet, reserved | Es callado, pero se entera de todo. He's quiet, but he notices everything. | |
| 32 | sociable Same form for both genders. | sociable, outgoing | Mi hija es sociable y hace amigos rápido. My daughter is sociable and makes friends quickly. | |
| 33 | generoso Feminine: generosa. The -ísimo ending (generosísimo) adds emphasis and sounds very natural here. | generous | Siempre paga él, es generosísimo. He always pays, he's incredibly generous. | |
| 34 | tacaño Feminine: tacaña. Colloquial and critical. Spain also says 'agarrado'; Mexico, 'codo'. | stingy, tight-fisted | No seas tacaño y deja propina. Don't be stingy, leave a tip. | |
| 35 | egoísta Ends in -a for both genders: un chico egoísta, una chica egoísta. | selfish | Tu primo es bastante egoísta con el dinero. Your cousin is quite selfish with money. | |
| 36 | sincero Feminine: sincera. 'Honesto' also exists, but 'sincero' is more common in speech. | sincere, honest | Prefiero la gente sincera, aunque duela. I prefer sincere people, even if it hurts. | |
| 37 | mentiroso Feminine: mentirosa. Used as both adjective and noun; a strong accusation. | lying; liar | Ese chico es un mentiroso. That boy is a liar. | |
| 38 | valiente Same form for both genders. | brave | Fuiste muy valiente en el hospital. You were very brave at the hospital. | |
| 39 | cobarde Same form for both genders. Quite insulting. | cowardly; coward | No dijo nada: se portó como un cobarde. He said nothing: he behaved like a coward. | |
| 40 | paciente Same form for both genders; as a noun it means a medical patient. | patient | Hay que ser paciente con los niños. You have to be patient with children. | |
| 41 | nervioso Feminine: nerviosa. 'Ser nervioso' = it's their character; 'estar nervioso' = nervous right now. | highly-strung, nervous | Mi jefe es una persona nerviosa. My boss is a highly-strung person. | |
| 42 | tranquilo Feminine: tranquila. '¡Tranquilo!' on its own means 'relax, don't worry'. | calm, easy-going | Tiene un carácter tranquilo, nunca grita. He has a calm character, he never shouts. | |
| 43 | cariñoso Feminine: cariñosa. Used for partners, family, children and pets. | affectionate, loving | Mi novio es muy cariñoso conmigo. My boyfriend is very affectionate with me. | |
| 44 | celoso Feminine: celosa. For envy of someone's things or success, use 'envidioso'. | jealous (in a relationship) | Su novio es celoso hasta del perro. Her boyfriend is jealous even of the dog. | |
| 45 | testarudo Feminine: testaruda. 'Terco' and 'cabezota' (Spain) mean the same and are just as common. | stubborn | Eres más testarudo que tu padre. You're more stubborn than your father. | |
| 46 | educado Feminine: educada. False friend: it does not mean 'educated' — for that say 'culto' or 'con estudios'. | polite, well-mannered | Es un chico educado, siempre saluda. He's a polite boy, he always says hello. | |
| 47 | maleducado Feminine: maleducada. Written as one word; a classic parent-to-child reproach. | rude, badly behaved | No contestes así, pareces maleducado. Don't answer like that, you sound rude. | |
| 48 | responsable Same form for both genders; 'ser responsable de' = to be in charge of. | responsible, reliable | Buscamos una niñera responsable. We're looking for a reliable babysitter. | |
| 49 | despistado Feminine: despistada. Affectionate rather than offensive. | absent-minded, scatterbrained | Soy muy despistado: pierdo las llaves. I'm very absent-minded: I lose my keys. | |
| 50 | pesado Feminine: pesada. Colloquial; literally 'heavy'. 'Ponerse pesado' = to go on and on about something. | annoying, tiresome (person) | Tu primo se pone pesado con el fútbol. Your cousin gets annoying about football. |
Lucía Herrera
Native Spanish · Speaks English, Portuguese
Native Spanish speaker from Valencia, now in Mexico City. I tutor Spanish online and keep a notebook of the words my students trip over. Every deck here comes from that notebook.
Published
Questions about this deck
- How do Spanish adjectives change for men and women?
- Adjectives ending in -o change to -a for a woman: alto/alta, cariñoso/cariñosa. Those ending in -e or in a consonant usually stay the same: amable, joven, fuerte, sociable, valiente, and egoísta (which ends in -a for both genders). Adjectives ending in -or add -a: trabajador/trabajadora, hablador/habladora. For plurals, add -s after a vowel (altas, amables) or -es after a consonant (jóvenes, trabajadores).
- Do I use ser or estar with adjectives that describe people?
- Use ser for what someone is like: es simpático, es alta, es trabajadora. Use estar for a state, a mood or a change: está triste, está más delgado, estás muy guapo hoy. Some adjectives change meaning completely: ser listo (clever) vs estar listo (ready), ser aburrido (boring) vs estar aburrido (bored), ser nervioso (highly-strung by nature) vs estar nervioso (nervous right now).
- Which of these adjectives are rude or risky to use about someone?
- Gordo and feo are offensive said about a person in Spain, although gordo/gordito is often affectionate between friends and couples in Mexico and Argentina. Say mayor rather than viejo for an older person. Mentiroso, cobarde, antipático and maleducado are direct accusations, so keep them for when you mean them. Tonto, pesado, tacaño and despistado are mild and often used jokingly among friends.
- Why doesn't 'educado' mean 'educated'?
- Educado is a false friend: it means polite and well-mannered. 'Un niño muy educado' is a child with good manners, not a child with degrees. To say someone is educated or well-read, use culto, or say tiene estudios / tiene una carrera. Its opposite, maleducado, means rude or badly behaved, not uneducated.
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