Physical Appearance (Junior Cert Spanish): Revision Notes
Physical appearance
Asking about appearance
When you want to ask what someone looks like in Spanish, you use ¿Cómo eres? (What are you like?). This is the most common way to ask about someone's physical appearance and personality traits.
¿Cómo eres? is a versatile question that can be used to ask about both physical appearance and personality traits, making it one of the most useful phrases for getting to know someone in Spanish.
Basic appearance vocabulary
The following table shows essential adjectives for describing physical appearance. Notice how each adjective has masculine and feminine forms:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| alto/a | tall |
| bajo/a | short/small |
| fuerte | strong |
| delgado/a | slim |
| feo/a | ugly |
| gordo/a | fat |
| guapo/a | good-looking |
Describing hair
Hair is described using el pelo (the hair). You use the verb tener (to have) to talk about hair colour and style.
Hair colours
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| el pelo rubio | blonde hair |
| el pelo marrón | brown hair |
| el pelo negro | black hair |
| el pelo rojo | red hair |
| el pelo castaño | chestnut/brown hair |
| el pelo gris | grey hair |
Hair styles
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| el pelo largo | long hair |
| el pelo corto | short hair |
| el pelo liso | straight hair |
| el pelo rizado | curly hair |
| el pelo ondulado | wavy hair |
Worked Example: Describing Hair
Here are some complete sentences showing how to describe hair:
- Tengo el pelo rubio y largo. (I have long blonde hair.)
- Mi hermana tiene el pelo rizado. (My sister has curly hair.)
- ¿Tienes el pelo corto? (Do you have short hair?)
Notice how you combine colour and style: colour + y + style
Describing eyes
Eyes are described using los ojos (the eyes). Remember that ojos is always plural in Spanish, even when referring to eye colour in general.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| los ojos azules | blue eyes |
| los ojos verdes | green eyes |
| los ojos marrones | brown eyes |
| los ojos grises | grey eyes |
| los ojos avellanos | hazel eyes |
Worked Example: Describing Eyes
- Tengo los ojos azules. (I have blue eyes.)
- Ella tiene los ojos verdes. (She has green eyes.)
- Mi padre tiene los ojos marrones. (My father has brown eyes.)
Pattern: Tener + los ojos + colour adjective
The verb "tener" (to have)
Tener is essential for describing physical appearance. Here's how to conjugate it in the present tense:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| tengo | I have |
| tienes | you have (informal) |
| tiene | he/she has, you have (formal) |
| tenemos | we have |
| tenéis | you have (plural, informal) |
| tienen | they have, you have (plural, formal) |
Critical Grammar Point: When describing what someone has, you don't need to use articles (el/la/los/las) after tener. You say "Tengo pelo rubio" not "Tengo el pelo rubio."
Exception: With eyes, you DO use the article: "Tengo los ojos azules"
Example sentences:
- Tengo gafas. (I wear glasses.)
- Mi hermano tiene barba. (My brother has a beard.)
- ¿Tienes bigote? (Do you have a moustache?)
Adjective agreement
Adjectives describing appearance must agree with the gender and number of the person being described. This is a fundamental rule in Spanish grammar.
Adjectives ending in -o/-a
| Masculine | Feminine | |
|---|---|---|
| Singular | alto | alta |
| Plural | altos | altas |
Adjectives ending in -e or consonant
| Masculine/Feminine | |
|---|---|
| Singular | verde |
| Plural | verdes |
Worked Example: Adjective Agreement
- Soy alta. (I am tall - female speaker.)
- Mi hermano es alto. (My brother is tall.)
- Tenemos los ojos verdes. (We have green eyes.)
Notice how alta ends in -a for feminine, alto ends in -o for masculine, and verdes adds -s for plural.
Colour Adjectives: Some colour adjectives like azul (blue) stay the same for masculine and feminine in singular form, but add -es for plural: azul → azules.
Additional appearance vocabulary
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| las gafas | glasses |
| la barba | beard |
| el bigote | moustache |
| calvo/a | bald |
Useful Phrases for Daily Conversation:
- Llevo gafas. (I wear glasses.)
- Me tiño el pelo de rubio. (I dye my hair blonde.)
- Es bastante alto. (He's quite tall.)
- Tiene los ojos marrones. (He/She has brown eyes.)
Translation practice
Practice Exercise: Translation
Spanish to English:
- Mi madre tiene el pelo corto y rizado.
- ¿Tienes los ojos azules o verdes?
English to Spanish: 3. I am tall and I have long hair. 4. My sister wears glasses.
Answers provided at the end of this document
Common Errors and How to Fix Them:
-
Error: "Soy alto pelo" ✗
Fix: "Soy alto y tengo el pelo..." ✓ (Use "tener" for physical features you possess) -
Error: "Tengo ojos azul" ✗
Fix: "Tengo los ojos azules" ✓ (Plural adjective with plural noun) -
Error: "Mi hermana es alta" when talking about a short person ✗
Fix: Remember alto/a = tall, bajo/a = short ✓
Translation answers
- My mother has short, curly hair.
- Do you have blue or green eyes?
- Soy alto/a y tengo el pelo largo.
- Mi hermana lleva gafas.
Key Points to Remember:
- Use ¿Cómo eres? to ask about someone's appearance
- Tener is the key verb for describing physical features you possess
- Adjectives must agree in gender and number with the person being described
- Hair colours and eye colours are essential vocabulary for basic descriptions
- Practice the tener conjugation - it's used constantly in appearance descriptions
- Remember: no article after tener except with eyes (los ojos)