In this workshop you will practice talking about what someone is like. You will use the verb ser with personality adjectives, and you will compare two people using más or menos with que. You will hear short, clear examples and then repeat them, choose the right reply, and finally recall the lines with the correct roles. Speak out loud as much as you can. If a line feels long, say it slowly first, then at a natural speed. You can play both roles in a dialogue, so you get practice asking and answering.
Describing one person with ser
To say what someone is like, use ser plus an adjective. The adjective usually matches the person: -o for a man or boy, -a for a woman or girl. You can also soften a description with un poco, which means 'a bit.' Listen to this example about a man: «Él es extrovertido.». It means 'He's outgoing.' The adjective extrovertido ends in -o because it describes a masculine person. Now listen to a description of a woman: «Ella es un poco tímida.». It means 'She's a bit shy.' Here tímida ends in -a, and un poco makes the description softer. Repeat each line after the recording. Keep the vowel sounds clear and let the stress fall on the next-to-last syllable in extrovertido and tímida.
Comparing two people with más and menos
To compare two people, use más... que for 'more... than' and menos... que for 'less... than.' Put the adjective between más or menos and que. Listen to this comparison: «Mi hermano es más hablador que yo.». It means 'My brother is more talkative than I am.' The word más means 'more,' and que means 'than.' Now listen to a comparison with menos: «Mi amiga es menos seria que su novio.». It means 'My friend is less serious than her boyfriend.' The word menos means 'less.' Notice that the adjective still matches the first person: hablador for a man, and seria for a woman. Repeat both lines. Then say them again, keeping the same structure and the same recorded wording.
A short dialogue about roommates
Now you will hear a short conversation. One person asks about a new roommate, and the other answers. Listen first: «¿Cómo es tu nuevo compañero de cuarto?». It means 'What's your new roommate like?' The answer is «Es muy extrovertido y hablador.», which means 'He's very outgoing and talkative.' Then the first person asks about the previous roommate: «¿Y tu compañera anterior?». It means 'And your previous roommate?' The answer is «Ella era un poco tímida, pero muy simpática.»: 'She was a bit shy, but very nice.' Notice that the question uses ser in the present, and the answer about the previous roommate uses era, which is also from ser. Repeat the whole dialogue. Then play both roles: first ask the questions, then give the answers.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
Él es extrovertido.
He's outgoing.
EH ehs ek-stroh-ber-TEE-doh
Ella es un poco tímida.
She's a bit shy.
EH-yah ehs oon POH-koh TEE-mee-dah
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
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
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
¿Cómo es tu nuevo compañero de cuarto?
What's your new roommate like?Es muy extrovertido y hablador.
He's very outgoing and talkative.¿Y tu compañera anterior?
And your previous roommate?Ella era un poco tímida, pero muy simpática.
She was a bit shy, but very nice.Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Guided exchange: ask and answer about a roommate
You will play both roles in a short conversation. First you are person A, then person B. Use the recordings as your model.
Your task: Listen to «¿Cómo es tu nuevo compañero de cuarto?» and repeat it. Then listen to «Es muy extrovertido y hablador.» and repeat it. Now say the question from «¿Cómo es tu nuevo compañero de cuarto?» out loud, and then answer with the line from «Es muy extrovertido y hablador.». After that, switch roles: say the answer first, then the question. Do this two times.
Reply comprehension: choose the right answer
You will hear a question and then choose between two possible answers. Only one answer matches the question about the previous roommate.
Your task: Listen again to «¿Y tu compañera anterior?». It asks about the previous roommate. Now choose the correct reply: is it «Es muy extrovertido y hablador.» or «Ella era un poco tímida, pero muy simpática.»? Say the correct line out loud. Then say the other line and explain in English why it does not fit the question.
Recall with correct roles: who says what
You will now recall the dialogue without looking at the lines. Focus on who asks and who answers.
Your task: Say the question from «¿Cómo es tu nuevo compañero de cuarto?» out loud. Then say the answer from «Es muy extrovertido y hablador.». Next, say the question from «¿Y tu compañera anterior?» and the answer from «Ella era un poco tímida, pero muy simpática.». Do this once as person A and once as person B. Try to remember the lines without reading them.
Common questions
When do I use ser instead of estar to describe a person?
Use ser for personality and character, like in «Él es extrovertido.» and «Ella es un poco tímida.». These describe what someone is like in general. Estar is more often for temporary states or feelings, but this workshop focuses on ser for personality.
How do I know whether to use más or menos in a comparison?
Use más... que when the first person has more of the quality, as in «Mi hermano es más hablador que yo.». Use menos... que when the first person has less of the quality, as in «Mi amiga es menos seria que su novio.». The adjective still matches the first person.
Sources and further reading
- spanish: describe personalityChecked September 2026
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