Physical descriptions (Edexcel GCSE German): Revision Notes
Physical descriptions
Physical descriptions are essential for talking about people's appearance in German. You'll need to describe friends, family members and other people using appropriate vocabulary and grammar structures.
Essential vocabulary for appearances
Understanding how to describe what someone looks like is fundamental to German conversation. When describing people, you're essentially building a visual picture using specific German vocabulary that covers everything from basic physical characteristics to more detailed features.
Here are the key terms you'll need:
Basic appearance vocabulary
| German | English |
|---|---|
| dünn | thin |
| dick | fat |
| groß | tall |
| klein | small |
| jung | young |
| alt | old |
| lang | long |
| kurz | short |
| schmal | slender/narrow |
Features and characteristics
| German | English |
|---|---|
| aussehen | to look/appear |
| die Augen | eyes |
| die Haare | hair |
| das Gesicht | face |
| rund | round |
| schmal | narrow |
| modisch | fashionable |
| sportlich | sporty |
The verb aussehen is particularly useful as it means "to look" or "to appear." You'll use this constantly when describing how someone looks: Sie sieht sportlich aus (She looks sporty).
Example sentences in context:
- Ich bin sechzehn Jahre alt. (I am sixteen years old.)
- Sie sieht sportlich aus. (She looks sporty.)
- Er hat blaue Augen. (He has blue eyes.)
- Ich trage eine Brille. (I wear glasses.)
Using sein and haben correctly
These two verbs are crucial for describing people. The key distinction is that sein (to be) describes permanent characteristics, whilst haben (to have) shows possession of features.
| Pronoun | sein | haben |
|---|---|---|
| ich | bin | habe |
| du | bist | hast |
| er/sie/es | ist | hat |
| wir | sind | haben |
| ihr | seid | habt |
| Sie/sie | sind | haben |
Common mistake to avoid: Don't confuse when to use sein versus haben. Use sein for characteristics that someone IS (tall, young, old) and haben for features that someone HAS (blue eyes, brown hair, glasses).
Practice with examples:
- Ich bin groß. (I am tall.) - using sein for a characteristic
- Du hast braune Haare. (You have brown hair.) - using haben for a feature
- Er ist jung. (He is young.) - using sein for age characteristic
- Wir haben grüne Augen. (We have green eyes.) - using haben for eye colour
Making comparisons
Comparative adjectives help you compare people's appearances. Understanding how to form these comparisons is essential for GCSE success, as comparison questions appear frequently in both reading and writing tasks.
Standard comparisons
For most adjectives, the rule is straightforward: simply add -er:
Standard comparison example:
- Er ist kleiner als ich. (He is smaller than me.)
The formula: adjective + -er + als + person/thing being compared to
Irregular comparisons with umlauts
Some common adjectives add an umlaut to the vowel before adding -er:
| Base form | Comparative |
|---|---|
| jung | jünger |
| alt | älter |
| groß | größer |
| lang | länger |
Key rule to remember: The most frequently used adjectives (jung, alt, groß, lang) follow the umlaut pattern. These appear constantly in exams, so memorise them thoroughly.
Umlaut comparison in context: Mein Bruder ist größer als ich. (My brother is taller than me.)
Notice how groß becomes größer with the umlaut added to the 'o'.
Reading comprehension strategies
When approaching German texts about physical descriptions, you need to develop systematic reading strategies. The key is to scan for specific types of information that commonly appear in comprehension questions.
Strategic reading approach: Don't try to understand every single word. Instead, focus on identifying the key descriptive elements that examiners typically test.
Look carefully for:
- Descriptive adjectives that indicate appearance
- Age indicators (Jahre alt)
- Colour words for hair and eyes
- Clothing descriptions (Kleidung)
- Comparative structures for size differences
The key is to read all descriptive details carefully, as many can be used for comparison questions in your exam.
Writing about physical descriptions
For GCSE writing tasks, your descriptions must meet specific criteria to achieve higher marks. The examiners are looking for accurate vocabulary usage and varied sentence structures.
Essential writing requirements: You must include these specific elements when describing people:
- Name and age of the person
- Physical appearance details
- Additional features or characteristics
Structure your descriptions logically, moving from general appearance to specific details. Aim for 40-50 words in your German responses, using varied vocabulary and appropriate grammar structures.
Translation practice
Translation exercises are excellent for testing your understanding of physical descriptions and practising the vocabulary in both directions.
Translation Practice Exercise:
German to English:
- Sie hat schwarze Haare und grüne Augen.
- Mein Vater ist älter als meine Mutter.
English to German:
- He is quite tall and wears glasses.
- My sister has long blonde hair.
Answers:
- She has black hair and green eyes.
- My father is older than my mother.
- Er ist ziemlich groß und trägt eine Brille.
- Meine Schwester hat lange blonde Haare.
Key Points to Remember:
- Sein describes what someone is, haben describes what someone has
- Add -er to make comparisons, but watch for umlaut changes in common adjectives
- Learn colour and feature vocabulary thoroughly - they appear frequently in exams
- Practice conjugating sein and haben until automatic - they're used constantly
- Read German texts carefully for descriptive details that can help answer comprehension questions