What’s up, friends! Today we are going to learn about personal features in Portuguese. We’ll learn how to describe someone’s personality and physical characteristics! This way, you can talk about someone being beautiful, tall, short, young, old, fat, skinny and much more in Portuguese!
Describing Someone’s Features 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. Take a look at the example:
Ele é alto e tem cabelo loiro.
He is tall and has blond hair.
Physical Features in Portuguese
Obviously, there are many ways we can describe someone in Portuguese. Let’s start with the physical characteristics, such as fat, skinny, old, young, tall and short in Portuguese!
| Alto(a) | Tall | |
| Baixo(a) | Short | |
| Gordo(a) | Fat | |
| Magro(a) | Skinny | |
| Forte | Strong | |
| Fraco(a) | Weak | |
| Bonito(a) | Beautiful / Pretty / Handsome | |
| Feio(a) | Ugly | |
| Grande | Big | |
| Pequeno(a) | Small | |
| Jovem | Young | |
| Idoso(a) | Old | |
| Cabelo longo | Long hair | |
| Cabelo curto | Short hair | |
| Cabelo liso | Straight hair | |
| Cabelo ondulado | Wavy hair | |
| Cabelo cacheado | Curly hair | |
| Loiro(a) | Blond | |
| Moreno(a) | Brunette | |
| Ruivo(a) | Redhead |
For certain physical characteristics, we normally use the diminutive (gordinho, baixinho, etc.) in order not to sound rude or aggressive.
Examples for Physical Features in Portuguese
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

| Olhos azuis | Blue eyes | |
| Olhos verdes | Green eyes | |
| Olhos castanhos | Brown eyes | |
| Olhos pretos | Black eyes |
When describing someone’s eyes in Portuguese, use the verb ter (to have). For example:
Examples for Eye Color in Portuguese
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 Features in Portuguese
Now that you know how to describe someone by their physical traits, let’s take a look at how to describe someone by their personal characteristics:
| Educado | Polite | |
| Mal-educado | Impolite / Rude | |
| Arrogante | Arrogant | |
| Inteligente | Intelligent | |
| Burro | Stupid | |
| Gentil | Kind | |
| Simpático | Friendly | |
| Antipático | Unfriendly | |
| Bem-humorado | Good-natured / Easygoing | |
| Mal-humorado | Grouchy / Grumpy | |
| Nervoso | Nervous | |
| Estressado | Stressed | |
| Trabalhador | Hardworking | |
| Ciumento | Jealous | |
| Calmo | Calm | |
| Fiel | Faithful | |
| Mentiroso | Liar | |
| Desconfiado | Suspicious / Distrustful |
Examples for Personal Features in Portuguese
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, including physical and psychological features, such as intelligent, stupid, fat, skinny, young, old, beautiful and ugly 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
Adjectives in Portuguese
Body Parts in Portuguese
Antonyms in Portuguese
Metaphony in Portuguese
Online Academic Coordinator at Rio & Learn Portuguese School.
Experienced educational coordinator and teacher since 2007, adept in curriculum development, creating physical and digital educational materials, and leveraging online platforms to enhance learning outcomes