Describing People (Junior Cert German): Revision Notes
Describing People
Learning how to describe people is one of the most practical skills in German. Whether you're talking about family, friends, or meeting new people, these vocabulary words and structures will help you express yourself clearly. In German, describing people requires understanding when to use different verbs and knowing the right vocabulary for physical features and personality traits.
Essential verbs for descriptions
When describing people in German, you'll mainly use two important verbs: haben (to have) and sein (to be). Understanding when to use each verb is crucial for accurate descriptions.
Key Verb Usage Rule:
- haben is used when talking about features that someone possesses, such as hair colour or eye colour
- sein is used for characteristics that describe what someone is like, such as their height or personality traits
The key is remembering that haben relates to things you "have" whilst sein relates to things you "are".
Both verbs need to be conjugated, which means changing their endings to match who is doing the action. Here are the conjugations you'll need:
| haben (to have) | English | sein (to be) | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| ich habe | I have | ich bin | I am |
| du hast | you have | du bist | you are |
| er/sie/es hat | he/she/it has | er/sie/es ist | he/she/it is |
When describing your friends or family members, you'll use the possessive pronouns mein (for masculine nouns) and meine (for feminine nouns) to mean "my".
Describing physical appearance
Physical descriptions in German follow specific patterns depending on what feature you're describing.
Height
For describing someone's height, use the verb sein because height is something you "are", not something you "have":
- Ich bin groß - I am tall
- Sie ist klein - She is short
You can add intensity words to make your descriptions more precise. Sehr means "very" and ziemlich means "quite":
- Ich bin sehr groß - I am very tall
- Meine Freundin ist ziemlich klein - My friend is quite short
Hair descriptions
Hair is described using haben because it's something you possess. German has specific vocabulary for different hair colours and styles:
| German | English |
|---|---|
| blonde Haare | blonde hair |
| braune Haare | brown hair |
| schwarze Haare | black hair |
| graue Haare | grey hair |
| rote Haare | red hair |
| lange Haare | long hair |
| kurze Haare | short hair |
| lockige Haare | curly hair |
| glatte Haare | straight hair |
Worked Example: Describing Hair
Let's build up a complete hair description step by step:
Step 1: Choose the verb - use haben for hair
- Ich habe... (I have...)
Step 2: Add the hair colour
- Ich habe blonde Haare (I have blonde hair)
Step 3: Add additional descriptors
- Ich habe lange, blonde Haare (I have long, blonde hair)
Complete examples:
- Meine Freundin hat schwarze Haare - My friend has black hair
- Mein Opa hat kurze, graue Haare - My grandad has short, grey hair
- Sally hat lange, lockige, braune Haare - Sally has long, curly, brown hair
Eye colours
Like hair, eyes are described using haben:
| German | English |
|---|---|
| blaue Augen | blue eyes |
| braune Augen | brown eyes |
| grüne Augen | green eyes |
| graue Augen | grey eyes |
Pattern Recognition: Notice how the adjective endings match the noun gender. Augen (eyes) is plural, so the adjectives end in -e: blaue, braune, grüne.
Example sentences:
- Ich habe blaue Augen - I have blue eyes
- Mein Cousin hat braune Augen - My cousin has brown eyes
Other physical features
You can describe additional features like facial hair, glasses, or distinctive marks. These also use haben:
| German | English |
|---|---|
| der Bart | beard |
| der Schnurrbart | moustache |
| die Glatze | bald head |
| die Sommersprossen | freckles |
| die Brille | glasses |
| einen Hijab | a hijab |
Example sentences:
- Mein Opa hat einen Bart - My grandad has a beard
- Mein Onkel hat einen Schnurrbart - My uncle has a moustache
- Meine Halbschwester hat Sommersprossen - My half-sister has freckles
- Mein Stiefvater hat eine Glatze - My step-father is bald
For things people wear, you can use tragen (to wear), which is irregular:
- ich trage - I wear
- er/sie trägt - he/she wears
Examples:
- Ich trage eine Brille - I wear glasses
- Sie trägt einen Hijab - She wears a hijab
Describing personality
Personality descriptions use sein because these are qualities that describe what someone "is like". German has many useful adjectives for describing character:
| German | English |
|---|---|
| lustig | funny |
| nett | nice |
| freundlich | friendly |
| sympathisch | kind |
| laut | loud |
| ruhig | quiet |
| faul | lazy |
| intelligent | intelligent |
| sportlich | sporty |
| kreativ | creative |
| streng | strict |
| fleißig | hardworking |
Basic personality descriptions follow this pattern:
- Ich bin lustig - I am funny
- Ich bin freundlich - I am friendly
To ask about personality, use:
- Wie bist du? - What are you like?
- Wie ist er/sie? - What is he/she like?
Using connectives and intensifiers
You can make your descriptions more detailed by using connecting words and intensifiers. Common connectives include und (and), aber (but), and nicht (not). Intensifiers include sehr (very) and ziemlich (quite):
- Mein Freund ist nett und fleißig - My friend is nice and hardworking
- Meine Oma ist sehr ruhig, aber intelligent - My granny is very quiet but intelligent
- Mein Stiefvater ist sehr sympathisch und nicht faul - My step-father is very kind and not lazy
Building Complex Descriptions: Start with simple sentences using one adjective, then gradually add connectives like und and aber to create more sophisticated descriptions. This makes your German sound more natural and fluent.
Comparing people
To compare people in German, you typically add -er to the end of adjectives, just like adding "-er" in English. Use als to mean "than":
Worked Example: Making Comparisons
Step 1: Take a basic adjective
- streng (strict)
Step 2: Add -er to make it comparative
- strenger (stricter)
Step 3: Use "als" for "than"
- Meine Mutter ist strenger als mein Vater (My mother is stricter than my father)
More examples:
- Mein Bruder ist lustiger als meine Schwester - My brother is funnier than my sister
- Mein Opa ist größer als meine Oma - My grandad is taller than my granny
- Mein Vater ist älter als meine Mutter - My father is older than my mother
Translation practice
Translation Practice
- Meine Schwester hat lange blonde Haare und blaue Augen
- Mein Lehrer ist sehr streng aber intelligent
- My friend is tall and funny
- I have brown hair and green eyes
Answers:
- My sister has long blonde hair and blue eyes
- My teacher is very strict but intelligent
- Mein Freund ist groß und lustig
- Ich habe braune Haare und grüne Augen
Common mistakes and tips
Common Mistakes to Avoid:
Word order: Remember that adjectives come before nouns in German, just like in English. Say "lange blonde Haare" not "Haare lange blonde".
Verb choice: Don't confuse haben and sein. Use haben for features you possess (hair, eyes) and sein for qualities you are (tall, funny).
Gender agreement: Possessive pronouns must match: use mein with masculine nouns and meine with feminine nouns.
Pronunciation tip: The "ch" sound in words like "ich" and "nicht" is soft, like the "h" in "huge". Practice this sound to improve your accent.
Umlaut importance: Don't forget the dots over letters like "größer" - they change the pronunciation and meaning.
Remember!
Key Points to Remember:
- Use haben for physical features you possess (hair colour, eye colour, beard)
- Use sein for characteristics that describe what you are (height, personality traits)
- Add -er to most adjectives to make comparisons with als meaning "than"
- Connect descriptions with und (and) and aber (but) for more detailed sentences
- Practice conjugating haben and sein - they're essential for all descriptions in German