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Conversations, no matter the language, are often peppered with descriptions of people we see and know. Whether it’s about physical traits that can be easily seen or the deeper aspects of a person’s character and personality, descriptions are an important part of conversations.
So here in this article, let’s learn how to describe people’s looks and personalities in German!
I. German Words to Describe Personality
A person could be smart, organized, and helpful. He could also be aggressive, angry, and lazy. How do you say these in German? Here are some words that would help!
| abenteuerlustig | adventurous |
| abergläubisch | superstitious |
| aggressiv | aggressive |
| treu | loyal |
| angeberisch | boastful, show-offish |
| hartnäckig | persistent |
| arrogant | arrogant |
| aufgeschlossen | open-minded, receptive |
| aufrichtig | sincere |
| begabt | talented |
| hilfreich | helpful |
| bescheuert, verrückt | crazy, nuts |
| bescheiden | modest |
| blöd, dumm, doof | stupid, dumb |
| deprimiert | depressed |
| egoistisch | selfish |
| ehrgeizig | ambitious |
| eifersüchtig | jealous |
| einzigartig | unique |
| eingebildet | conceited |
| einsam | lonely |
| eitel | vain |
| energisch | energetic, forceful, resolute |
| erstaunlich | amazing |
| extrovertiert | extroverted |
| exzentrisch | eccentric |
| faul | lazy |
| fleißig | hardworking |
| freundlich | friendly |
| glücklich | happy |
| geduldig | patient |
| gemein | mean |
| wohlerzogen | well-mannered, well-behaved |
| gesprächig | talkative |
| gierig | greedy |
| großzügig | generous |
| introvertiert | introverted |
| klug | smart |
| kreativ | creative |
| künstlerisch | artistic |
| liebevoll | caring |
| organisiert | organized |
| realistisch | realistic |
| rücksichtsvoll | considerate |
| ruhig | quiet, calm |
| sauer | angry |
| schüchtern | shy |
| selbständig | independent |
| selbstbewusst | confident |
| selbstsicher | self-assured / self-confident |
| spontan | spontaneous |
| sportlich | athletic |
| unfreundlich | unfriendly |
| verlockend | alluring |
| witzig | witty, funny |
| zuverlässig | dependable; trustworthy |
Let’s try some examples using very simple sentence constructions.
|
Er ist sportlich. |
He is athletic. |
|
Sie ist freundlich. |
She is friendly. |
|
Er scheint freundlich zu sein. |
He seems to be friendly. |
|
Sie scheint introvertiert zu sein. |
She seems to be introverted. |
Pop Quiz 1: German Personality Words
Let’s try a few exercises to cement your knowledge of the words you just learned!
1. Spontan means _____.
Answer
Spontaneous
2. Someone who is ehrgeizig is _____.
Answer
Ambitious
3. Extroverted and introverted in German are:
Answer
Extrovertiert, Introvertiert
4. Er ist fleißig means:
Answer
He is hardworking / diligent.
Thanks for taking the short quiz! Now let’s proceed to describing physical traits.
II. German Words for Physical Appearance
Physical descriptions can help identify or describe someone. Choose words suited to the context; comments on weight or attractiveness can be unwelcome. If you wish to describe a person’s looks in German, the following words will come in handy.
| gut aussehend | good-looking, attractive |
| hübsch | pretty |
| schön | pretty, beautiful |
| hässlich | ugly |
| süß, niedlich | cute |
| jung | young |
| schlank | slim |
| dünn | thin |
| hager | gaunt |
| groß | tall; big, large in context |
| riesig | gigantic, huge |
| klein | small, short |
| dick | fat |
| stark | strong |
| schwach | weak |
| braun | brown; tanned in a skin description |
| grüne Augen | green eyes |
| blaue Augen | blue eyes |
| braune Augen | brown eyes |
| graue Augen | gray eyes |
| lange Haare | long hair |
| kurze Haare | short hair |
| lockige Haare | curly hair |
| glatte Haare | straight hair |
| blonde Haare | blond hair |
| rote Haare | red hair |
| braune Haare | brown hair |
| schwarze Haare | black hair |
| braunhaarig | brown-haired |
| dunkelhaarig | dark-haired |
| rothaarig | red-haired |
| schwarzhaarig | black-haired |
Now let’s take some simple sentence constructions as example.
|
Er/Sie ist… |
(He/ she is…) |
|
… groß |
(…tall) |
|
… schwarzhaarig |
(…black-haired) |
|
… dünn |
(…thin) |
|
Er/Sie sieht …. aus |
(He/She looks …) |
|
Er/Sie sieht wunderschön aus |
(He/She looks beautiful) |
|
Er/Sie sieht schlecht aus |
(He/She looks bad) |
Want more examples? Let’s take a look at longer ones that describe physical appearances.
Example #1:
Der Mann ist groß und hat kurze, blonde Haare. Er hat eine runde Brille. Der Mann trägt einen blauen Anzug mit weißem Hemd und roter Krawatte. Dazu trägt er braune Schuhe. In seiner rechten Hand hält er einen alten Aktenkoffer. Er sieht jung aus.
The man is tall and has short, blond hair. He is wearing round glasses. He wears a blue suit with a white shirt and a red tie. He also wears brown shoes. In his right hand he holds an old briefcase. He looks young.
Example #2:
Das Mädchen hat lange, dunkle Haare, welche zu einem Zopf geflochten sind. Sie hat kleine, runde Ohrringe. Ihre Augen sind blau. Sie trägt einen blau-grün gestreiften Pullover und einen weißen Rock. Dieser geht bis zu den Knien. Sie trägt keine Schuhe, sie ist barfuß.
The girl has long, dark hair which is braided. She has small, round earrings. Her eyes are blue. She is wearing a blue and green striped sweater and a white skirt. This goes down to the knees. She doesn’t wear shoes, she is barefoot.
Example #3:
Der Mann sieht sehr alt aus. In einer Hand hält er einen Gehstock. Er hat nur noch wenige, graue Haare. Er hat viele Falten und sieht sehr sympathisch aus. Er trägt ein kariertes Hemd mit rotem Muster und dazu eine braune Hose.
The man looks very old. In one hand he is holding a cane. He only has a few, grey hairs left. He has many wrinkles and looks friendly. He wears a checkered shirt with a red pattern and brown trousers.
Pop Quiz #2!
Try your hand at this second short quiz about physical appearance!
1. Lockige Haare means:
Answer
curly hair
2. When a person has braune Haare, he or she is ____.
Answer
Braunhaarig (brown-haired)
3. Er ist dünn means:
Answer
He is thin.
4. When a lady is described as schön, it means she is ____.
Answer
Pretty / beautiful.
Conclusion
We hope you learned something from this simple article on how to describe a person’s personality and looks. How about you? How would you describe yourself using the vocabulary shared above? Do share it with us in the comments!
To learn more German words through context, get your copy of German Short Stories for Beginners. It comes with a built-in dictionary for a hassle-free learning! You can listen to the stories, too, with the free audio. Check it out below!
Build accurate descriptions
Some words in the first list describe temporary feelings or states, such as deprimiert, einsam or sauer, rather than a lasting personality trait. Verlockend means tempting or alluring and is more typical of an offer or prospect than a neutral personality description.
After sein or scheinen, adjectives have no case/gender ending: Sie ist freundlich. Before a noun they take endings: eine freundliche Person; einen gestreiften Pullover. Describe eyes or hair with haben: Sie hat blaue Augen. Use tragen for what someone wears: Er trägt eine Brille.
Das Mädchen is grammatically neuter. A pronoun immediately referring to the noun can be es; in a longer description of the girl, sie is also common. Sympathisch means likeable or pleasant, rather than English “sympathetic”. Words such as bescheuert, dumm, hässlich and dick can be insulting.
Try a neutral self-description: Ich habe kurze Haare und braune Augen. Ich bin ruhig und zuverlässig. — I have short hair and brown eyes. I am calm and dependable.
