CEFR A1

    Describing People

    Learn words for describing people including what they look like and what kind of person they are with clear examples and practice exercises.

    Learning Objectives

    Learn simple adjectives to describe people's physical appearance like height, build, and age.
    Master vocabulary for describing personality traits such as friendly, kind, and funny.
    Practice using the verb to be with descriptive adjectives in simple sentences.
    Build confidence talking about yourself and others using basic descriptive language!

    Describing People

    In this lesson, you will learn simple adjectives to describe people in English. These words help you talk about someone's appearance, personality, and characteristics. You'll discover how to describe height, age, hair color, and personality traits. Mastering these basic descriptive words will help you introduce people, make new friends, and have simple conversations about the people in your life.

    📖 Meeting My New Classmate

    Today, a new student joins our class. Her name is Anna. She is tall and has long brown hair.

    Anna is very friendly and kind. She smiles at everyone and says hello.

    Her brother is short and has curly black hair. He is funny and makes everyone laugh.

    Anna says her mother is beautiful and smart, and her father is tall and strong.

    By learning these describing words, you can talk about the people around you and make new friends more easily!

    Height and Build

    Tall / Short

    Used to describe someone's height. 'Tall' means high, 'short' means not tall.

    • He is very tall.
    • My sister is short.
    • Basketball players are usually tall.

    Big / Small

    Describes a person's overall size. Can refer to height, weight, or both.

    • He is a big man.
    • She is small for her age.
    • My brother is bigger than me.

    Thin / Fat

    Describes body weight. Note: 'fat' can be considered rude; 'heavy' or 'large' are more polite.

    • She is very thin.
    • He is a little fat.
    • The model is extremely thin.

    Strong

    Describes someone with physical strength or muscular build.

    • He is very strong.
    • Weightlifters are strong people.
    • She has strong arms.

    Age and Hair

    Young / Old

    Describes a person's age. 'Young' means not old, 'old' means having lived for many years.

    • She is very young.
    • My grandfather is old.
    • Young people like social media.

    Long / Short (Hair)

    Describes the length of someone's hair.

    • She has long hair.
    • He has short hair.
    • I want long hair like hers.

    Blonde / Brown / Black (Hair)

    Common hair colors. Can also use 'dark' for black/brown hair or 'fair' for blonde.

    • He has blonde hair.
    • She has black hair.
    • My friend has brown hair.

    Curly / Straight (Hair)

    Describes hair texture. Curly means wavy or coiled, straight means not curly.

    • She has curly hair.
    • His hair is straight.
    • I love her beautiful curly hair.

    Positive Personality Traits

    Friendly / Nice

    Describes someone who is kind, pleasant, and easy to talk to.

    • She is very friendly.
    • He is a nice person.
    • My neighbors are friendly people.

    Kind

    Someone who is caring, helpful, and considerate of others.

    • My teacher is kind.
    • He is kind to everyone.
    • She has a kind heart.

    Funny

    Someone who makes people laugh or is humorous.

    • He is very funny.
    • She tells funny stories.
    • My dad is the funniest person I know.

    Smart / Clever

    Describes someone who is intelligent and good at learning or solving problems.

    • She is very smart.
    • He is a clever student.
    • Smart people ask good questions.

    Want to try a Describing People quiz?

    Practice with multiple choice questions

    More Personality Adjectives

    Happy / Sad

    Describes someone's emotional state or general mood.

    • She looks happy today.
    • He seems sad.
    • Happy people smile a lot.

    Shy / Quiet

    Describes someone who is nervous around people or doesn't talk much.

    • She is a shy girl.
    • He is very quiet.
    • Shy people don't like crowds.

    Brave

    Someone who is not afraid and shows courage.

    • He is very brave.
    • Firefighters are brave people.
    • She was brave in the scary situation.

    Beautiful / Handsome / Pretty

    'Beautiful' and 'pretty' are usually for women/girls; 'handsome' is usually for men/boys.

    • She is beautiful.
    • He is handsome.
    • What a pretty girl!

    Useful Phrases for Describing People

    Describing Appearance

    • She has long brown hair.
    • He is tall and thin.
    • My sister has beautiful blue eyes.
    • He looks young for his age.

    Describing Personality

    • She is a very kind person.
    • He is funny and friendly.
    • My teacher is patient and smart.
    • They are brave and strong.

    Asking About People

    • What does she look like?
    • Is he tall or short?
    • What is your brother like?
    • How old is your sister?

    Ready to test your Describing People knowledge?

    Challenge yourself with fill-in-the-blank exercises

    Common Mistakes to Avoid

    ❌ Wrong: She is a beauty girl.

    ✓ Correct: She is a beautiful girl. ('beauty' is a noun, 'beautiful' is an adjective)

    ❌ Wrong: He has a long hairs.

    ✓ Correct: He has long hair. ('hair' is uncountable)

    ❌ Wrong: My friend is very much tall.

    ✓ Correct: My friend is very tall. (use 'very', not 'very much' with adjectives)

    ❌ Wrong: She have blonde hair.

    ✓ Correct: She has blonde hair. (third person singular uses 'has')

    ❌ Wrong: He is a friend person.

    ✓ Correct: He is a friendly person. (use 'friendly', not 'friend' as adjective)

    Master Describing People sentence building!

    Drag and drop words to form correct sentences

    Learning Tips

    Practice describing your family members, friends, and favorite celebrities out loud
    Create flashcards with adjectives on one side and example sentences on the other
    Look in the mirror and practice describing yourself using simple sentences
    Watch English videos and try to describe the people you see
    Remember: adjectives come BEFORE nouns in English (e.g., "tall man", not "man tall")
    Learn pairs of opposite adjectives together: tall/short, young/old, happy/sad
    Be careful with sensitive words like 'fat' - use 'heavy' or 'large' to be more polite
    Practice asking "What does he/she look like?" to learn about people's appearance

    Speaking Practice

    To practice your pronunciation, listen to the native speaker audio first. Then 'Record' yourself repeating what you heard, then use the 'Playback' button to compare your pronunciation with the native speaker. If you want to record yourself again, simply click 'Delete'!

    ✓ She is tall and has long brown hair.

    ✓ He is a friendly person with a big smile.

    ✓ My teacher is kind and patient.

    ✓ That boy is young and energetic.

    ✓ She has beautiful blue eyes.

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