Describe Someone in Portuguese

What’s up, friends! Today we are going to learn how to describe someone in Portuguese. We are going to talk about describing a person´s personality and physical characteristics.

Describe Someone in Portuguese

We can use many different expressions to describe a person, but the most common way to do it is by using the verb Ser and the verb Ter.

Example

Ele é alto e tem cabelo loiro.
He is tall and has blond hair.

Obviously, there are many ways we can describe someone in Portuguese. Let’s start with the physical ones:

Physical Characteristics in Portuguese

[one_half]Alto(a)
Baixo(a)
Gordo(a)
Magro(a)
Forte
Fraco(a)
Bonito(a)
Feio(a)
Grande
Pequeno(a)
Jovem
Idoso(a)
Cabelo longo
Cabelo curto
Cabelo liso
Cabelo ondulado
Cabelo cacheado
Loiro(a)
Moreno(a)
Ruivo(a)[/one_half][one_half_last]Tall
Short
Fat
Thin
Strong
Weak
Pretty/handsome
Ugly
Big
Small
Young
Old
Long hair
Short hair
Straight hair
Wavy hair
Curly hair
Blond
Brunette
Redhead[/one_half_last]

For certain physical characteristics, we normally use the diminutive  (gordinho, baixinho, etc.)  in order not to sound rude or aggressive.

Examples

Luana é baixa, tem cabelo curto e preto.
Luana is short, she has short, black hair.

Kurt é alto, magro, tem cabelo loiro e curto.
Kurt is tall, he is thin, and he has blond, short hair.

Diogo é gordinho e tem cabelo curto.
Diogo is chubby and has short hair.

Lúcia é muito jovem com cabelos longos e ondulados.
Lúcia is very young and has long, wavy hair.

We can also describe someone by talking about the characteristics of parts of their body. Take a look at our Dica about body parts in Portuguese to learn more.

Eye Color in Portuguese

[one_half]Olhos azuis
Olhos verdes
Olhos castanhos
Olhos pretos[/one_half][one_half_last]Blue eyes
Green eyes
Brown eyes
Black eyes[/one_half_last]

When describing someone’s eyes in Portuguese, use the verb ter (to have). For example:

Muitos brasileiros que moram no sul têm olhos azuis.
Many Brazilians who live in the south have blue eyes.

Eu amo pessoas com olhos castanhos.
I love people with brown eyes.

Ela tem olhos pretos?
Does she have black eyes?

Eles têm olhos verdes ou azuis?
Do they have green or black eyes?

Personal Characteristics

[one_half]Educado
Mal-educado
Arrogante
Inteligente
Burro
Gentil
Simpático
Antipático
Bem-humorado
Mal-humorado
Nervoso
Estressado
Trabalhador
Ciumento
Calmo
Fiel
Mentiroso
Desconfiado[/one_half][one_half_last]Polite
Impolite / Rude
Arrogant
Intelligent
Stupid
Kind
Friendly
Unfriendly
Good-natured / Easygoing
Grouchy / Grumpy
Nervous
Stressed
Hardworking
Jealous
Calm
Faithful
Liar
Suspicious / Distrustful [/one_half_last]

Examples

Marina é uma menina muito inteligente.
Marina is a very intelligent girl.

Paulo nunca está estressado, ele é muito calmo.
Paulo is never stressed, he is very calm.

Os brasileiros são muito simpáticos.
Brazilians are very friendly people.

Minha namorada não tem problemas comigo porque não sou ciumento.
My girlfriend doesn’t have any problems with me, because I am not jealous.

Alright, guys! Now we know how to describe someone in Portuguese. What about you? Can you describe yourself for us? Don’t forget to subscribe to A Dica do Dia and follow us on Twitter for lessons in Portuguese.

Bye!
Hugs from Rio de Janeiro!

                 
Click on the links below to see more related Dicas
Portuguese present tense of Ser
Verbo ser exercises in Portuguese
Verb to have in Portuguese
Adjectives in Portuguese
Body parts in Portuguese
The opposites in Portuguese