You can describe what people look like — now let's talk about who they are on the inside! In this lesson, you'll learn personality adjectives and how to use intensifiers like 'muy' (very) and 'un poco' (a little). You'll also practice connecting ideas with 'pero' (but) and 'también' (also). By the end, you'll be able to give rich, nuanced descriptions of anyone!
Learning tips
- Personality adjectives follow the same gender rules: simpático → simpática, divertido → divertida. But 'amable' and 'inteligente' (ending in -e) stay the same for both genders.
- 'Muy' (very) goes before the adjective: 'muy simpática.' 'Un poco' (a little) also goes before: 'un poco serio.'
- Use 'pero' (but) to contrast: 'Es serio pero amable.' Use 'también' (also) to add: 'También es inteligente.'
- In Colombia, 'simpático' is a big compliment — it means someone is likeable, friendly, and pleasant to be around.
Warm-up & Active Recall
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| alto | tall |
| bajo | short (height) |
| grande | big |
| pequeño | small |
| bonito | pretty |
| guapo | handsome |
| delgado | thin |
| gordo | fat |
| el pelo | the hair |
| los ojos | the eyes |
Dialog
Valentina describes her best friend's personality, and Andrés shares about his friend too. Notice how personality adjectives work with 'ser' (to be): 'Es simpática' (She's nice). The intensifier 'muy' (very) goes before the adjective: 'muy simpática.' 'Un poco' (a little) softens: 'un poco serio.' 'Pero' (but) contrasts: 'serio pero amable.' 'También' (also) adds: 'también es inteligente.'
Vocabulary
Active words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| simpático | /sim.ˈpa.ti.ko/ | nice, likeable, friendly | Feminine: simpática — a very common compliment |
| amable | /a.ˈma.βle/ | kind, nice | Same form for masculine and feminine (-e ending) |
| inteligente | /in.te.li.ˈxen.te/ | intelligent, smart | Same form for masculine and feminine (-e ending) |
| divertido | /di.βeɾ.ˈti.ðo/ | fun, funny, entertaining | Feminine: divertida |
| serio | /ˈse.ɾjo/ | serious | Feminine: seria |
| tranquilo | /tɾaŋ.ˈki.lo/ | calm, quiet, easygoing | Feminine: tranquila |
| muy | /ˈmui̯/ | very | Intensifier — goes before adjective |
| un poco | /un ˈpo.ko/ | a little, a bit | Softener — goes before adjective |
| pero | /ˈpe.ɾo/ | but | Connector for contrasting ideas |
| también | /tam.ˈbjen/ | also, too | Can go before or after the verb |
Passive words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| tímido | /ˈti.mi.ðo/ | shy, timid | Feminine: tímida |
| generoso | /xe.ne.ˈɾo.so/ | generous | Feminine: generosa |
| responsable | /res.pon.ˈsa.βle/ | responsible | Same for masculine and feminine (-e ending) |
| cariñoso | /ka.ɾi.ˈɲo.so/ | affectionate, loving | Feminine: cariñosa |
| trabajador | /tɾa.βa.xa.ˈðoɾ/ | hardworking | Feminine: trabajadora |
| honesto | /o.ˈnes.to/ | honest | Feminine: honesta |
Useful chunks
| Word | Translation |
|---|---|
| es muy simpático/a | he/she is very nice |
| un poco serio/a | a little serious |
Grammar: Using 'ser' + adjective for personality descriptions — intensifiers (muy, bastante, un poco) and connectors (y, pero, también)
| Structure | Example |
|---|---|
| ser + adjective | Ella es simpática. |
| ser + muy + adjective | Él es muy inteligente. |
| ser + un poco + adjective | Es un poco serio. |
| adj + y + adj | simpática y divertida |
| adj + pero + adj | serio pero amable |
| también + ser + adj | También es inteligente. |
Gender agreement with personality adjectives:
| Masculine | Feminine | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| simpático | simpática | -o → -a |
| divertido | divertida | -o → -a |
| serio | seria | -o → -a |
| amable | amable | no change (-e ending) |
| inteligente | inteligente | no change (-e ending) |
To describe someone's personality, use ser + adjective:
- Ella es simpática. (She is nice.)
- Él es inteligente. (He is smart.)
Intensifiers go before the adjective:
- Muy + adjective = very: Es muy amable. (She is very kind.)
- Un poco + adjective = a little: Es un poco serio. (He is a little serious.)
- Bastante + adjective = quite: Es bastante tranquila. (She is quite calm.)
Connectors:
- y = and: simpática y divertida (nice and fun)
- pero = but: serio pero amable (serious but kind)
- también = also/too: También es inteligente. (She's also smart.)
Gender agreement still applies:
- -o adjectives change: simpático (m) → simpática (f)
- -e adjectives don't: amable, inteligente (same for both)
Exercises
Fill in the Blanks
Complete each sentence with the missing intensifier, connector, or adjective.
- Mi amiga es simpática. (very)(intensifier meaning 'very')
- Él es divertido un poco serio. (but)(connector meaning 'but')
- Ella es inteligente y amable. (also)(connector meaning 'also')
- Mi hermano es tranquilo. (a little)(two words meaning 'a little')
- Mi mamá es y divertida. (nice, feminine)(feminine form of 'simpático')
Grammar Application
Change each personality adjective to its feminine form.
- Make feminine: simpático → (-o → -a)
- Make feminine: divertido → (-o → -a)
- Make feminine: serio → (-o → -a)
- Make feminine: inteligente → (-e ending — does it change?)
- Make feminine: tranquilo → (-o → -a)
Translation (English → Spanish)
Translate each sentence into Spanish. Pay attention to gender agreement and word order.
- She is very nice and kind.
- My brother is intelligent but a little serious.
- My friend (f) is fun and also calm.
- He is very kind but a little shy.
- My dad is serious but also fun.
Creative Construction
Describe 2-3 people's personalities using 'ser + adjective,' intensifiers (muy, un poco), and connectors (pero, también, y).
Takeaway
Describe personality with 'ser + adjective': 'Es simpática.' Use 'muy' (very) and 'un poco' (a little) before adjectives. Connect with 'y' (and), 'pero' (but), 'también' (also). Gender rules: -o → -a for feminine; -e endings don't change.