How to Describe Personality in Spanish: 'Es extrovertido' and 'Es un poco tímida'
Learn to describe and compare people's character in Latin American Spanish using ser, adjectives, and simple comparison patterns like más and menos.
By PookieFriends & plans · Yapr Learn
Physical description tells you what someone looks like; this lesson teaches you to talk about what someone is like. In Spanish, personality descriptions usually use the verb ser plus an adjective that agrees in gender and number with the person: Él es extrovertido, Ella es un poco tímida. You will also learn to compare two people with más... que and menos... que. Keep in mind that Spanish adjectives often change form for masculine and feminine, so the ending matters.
By the end, you can…
- describe someone's personality using ser plus an adjective.
- compare two people's character using más and menos with que.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Él es extrovertido.
He's outgoing.
EH ehs ek-stroh-ber-TEE-doh
Use for a man or boy. The adjective ends in -o because it describes a masculine person.
Ella es un poco tímida.
She's a bit shy.
EH-yah ehs oon POH-koh TEE-mee-dah
Use for a woman or girl. Un poco softens the description; tímida ends in -a for feminine.
Mi hermano es más hablador que yo.
My brother is more talkative than I am.
mee er-MAH-noh ehs mahs ah-blah-DOR keh yoh
Más... que means 'more... than.' Hablador is masculine singular; for a woman use habladora.
Mi amiga es menos seria que su novio.
My friend is less serious than her boyfriend.
mee ah-MEE-gah ehs MEH-nohs SEH-ryah keh soo NOH-byoh
Menos... que means 'less... than.' Use it to compare two people directly.
Somos muy sociables.
We're very sociable.
SOH-mohs mwee soh-SYAH-blehs
Sociable has one form for both genders, but it adds -s for plural: sociables.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The basic pattern is [person] + ser + adjective. Examples: Ana es simpática. Mi primo es callado. Tú eres divertido. The verb ser is used because personality is a lasting characteristic. To compare, add más or menos before the adjective and que after it: Ana es más simpática que Luis. Luis es menos callado que Ana. The adjective still agrees with the first person, not the second.
When to use it
Use these phrases when you are getting to know someone, introducing a friend, or explaining why two people get along. For example: Mi hermana es extrovertida, pero yo soy un poco tímido. Él es más serio que su hermano. In casual Latin American Spanish, you may also hear bien before an adjective for emphasis: Es bien simpático. This is common in countries like Mexico and Colombia, but less common in formal writing.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
¿Cómo es tu nuevo compañero de cuarto?
What's your new roommate like?KOH-moh ehs too NWEH-boh kohm-pah-NYEH-roh deh KWAHR-tohEs muy extrovertido y hablador.
He's very outgoing and talkative.ehs mwee ek-stroh-ber-TEE-doh ee ah-blah-DOR¿Y tu compañera anterior?
And your previous roommate?ee too kohm-pah-NYEH-rah ahN-teh-RYORElla era un poco tímida, pero muy simpática.
She was a bit shy, but very nice.EH-yah EH-rah oon POH-koh TEE-mee-dah PEH-roh mwee seem-PAH-tee-kahA little context goes a long way
In many Latin American contexts, describing someone as extrovertido or tímido is neutral and common. However, words like gordo or flaco are often used among friends without offense, while in more formal or unfamiliar settings they can sound rude. When in doubt, focus on character adjectives and avoid commenting on appearance unless you know the person well.
One thing to watch for
Saying 'Ella es extrovertido' because you learned only one form of the adjective.
Try this instead: Adjectives that end in -o change to -a for feminine subjects: Ella es extrovertida. For a man: Él es extrovertido. Adjectives ending in -e, like sociable, usually do not change: Ella es sociable.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How would you say 'My sister is very shy' about a female sibling?
Show a sample answer
Mi hermana es muy tímida.
Hermana is feminine, so tímida ends in -a. Muy means 'very.' You could also say Mi hermana es bien tímida in casual speech.
2Translate: 'He is less serious than his friend.'
Show a sample answer
Él es menos serio que su amigo.
Menos... que expresses 'less... than.' Serio agrees with él. If the friend is female, use su amiga.
3You want to say 'We are outgoing' to a group that includes men and women. Which form do you use?
Show a sample answer
Somos extrovertidos.
For a mixed group, Spanish uses the masculine plural extrovertidos. If the group were all women, you would say Somos extrovertidas.
Use ser plus a gender-matching adjective to describe personality, and más/menos... que to compare two people. Start with Él es extrovertido and Ella es un poco tímida, then swap in other adjectives as you learn them.
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