I wish I were more relaxed. But I am anxious and restless. On the other hand, my husband is the most laid-back and easy-going person Iโve ever met. Luckily, my kids take after him and donโt fret about insignificant things.
How about you? What is it that you like about your personality? Is there anything youโd like to change?
And most importantly: do you know how to talk about personality traits – โrazgos de personalidadโ – in Spanish?
How many of the words below do you know?
Personality Traits in Spanish – 12 Must-Know Words
- ๐ช๐ธ bueno – ๐ฌ๐ง good
- ๐ช๐ธ simpรกtico – ๐ฌ๐ง nice
- ๐ช๐ธ alegre– ๐ฌ๐ง cheerful
- ๐ช๐ธ divertido– ๐ฌ๐ง funny
- ๐ช๐ธ generoso– ๐ฌ๐ง generous
- ๐ช๐ธ amigable– ๐ฌ๐ง friendly
- ๐ช๐ธ malo – ๐ฌ๐ง bad, mean
- ๐ช๐ธ tรญmido– ๐ฌ๐ง shy
- ๐ช๐ธ celoso – ๐ฌ๐ง jealous
- ๐ช๐ธ desordenado – ๐ฌ๐ง messy
- ๐ช๐ธ perezoso / flojo – ๐ฌ๐ง lazy
What verb do we use in Spanish to say that someone is funny and friendly, shy, or lazy? As long as we talk about personality, which implies a permanent condition, the correct verb is SER.
๐ช๐ธ Juan es simpรกtico.
๐ฌ๐ง Juan is nice.
๐ช๐ธ Eres muy perezoso.
๐ฌ๐ง You are very lazy.
๐ช๐ธ Soy tรญmido.
๐ฌ๐ง I am shy.
However, keep in mind that if you describe a momentary behavior, feeling, or mood in Spanish, you can use some of these adjectives with the verb ESTAR.
๐ช๐ธ Sofรญa estรก muy alegre hoy.
๐ฌ๐ง Sofรญa is cheerful today.
๐ช๐ธ ยฟQuรฉ te pasรณ? ยฟPor quรฉ estรกs tan malo conmigo?
๐ฌ๐ง Whatโs happened to you? Why are you so mean to me?
๐ช๐ธ Pedro hoy estรก tรญmido porque hay mucha gente que no conoce.
๐ฌ๐ง Pedro is shy because there are many people he doesnโt know.
Going beyond the basics – how to describe personality in Spanish with precision
When it comes to describing personality and talking about our virtues and vices, the array of possibilities is much wider than the initial 12 essential words.
๐ช๐ธ Las Virtudes – ๐ฌ๐ง Virtues | ๐ช๐ธ Los Defectos – ๐ฌ๐ง Vices |
๐ช๐ธ confiable – ๐ฌ๐ง trustworthy ๐ช๐ธ amable – ๐ฌ๐ง kind ๐ช๐ธ responsable – ๐ฌ๐ง responsible ๐ช๐ธ ahorrativo – ๐ฌ๐ง thrifty ๐ช๐ธ respetuoso – ๐ฌ๐ง respectful ๐ช๐ธ considerado – ๐ฌ๐ง considerate ๐ช๐ธ bien educado / cortรฉs – ๐ฌ๐ง polite ๐ช๐ธ paciente – ๐ฌ๐ง patient ๐ช๐ธ relajado – ๐ฌ๐ง relaxed ๐ช๐ธ estudioso – ๐ฌ๐ง studious ๐ช๐ธ fiel / leal – ๐ฌ๐ง loyal ๐ช๐ธ gracioso – ๐ฌ๐ง funny / gracious ๐ช๐ธ ingenioso – ๐ฌ๐ง ingenious ๐ช๐ธ listo – ๐ฌ๐ง smart ๐ช๐ธ sensible – ๐ฌ๐ง sensitive ๐ช๐ธ sensato – ๐ฌ๐ง sensible ๐ช๐ธ seguro de sรญ mismo – ๐ฌ๐ง self-confident ๐ช๐ธ valiente – ๐ฌ๐ง brave ๐ช๐ธ trabajador – ๐ฌ๐ง hard-working ๐ช๐ธ eficiente – ๐ฌ๐ง efficient ๐ช๐ธ tranquilo – ๐ฌ๐ง quiet ๐ช๐ธ extrovertido – ๐ฌ๐ง outgoing ๐ช๐ธ creativo – ๐ฌ๐ง creative ๐ช๐ธ cariรฑoso – ๐ฌ๐ง affectionate ๐ช๐ธ persistente – ๐ฌ๐ง persistent | ๐ช๐ธ mal educado– ๐ฌ๐ง rude ๐ช๐ธ mandรณn – ๐ฌ๐ง bossy ๐ช๐ธ mentiroso – ๐ฌ๐ง liar ๐ช๐ธ aburrido – ๐ฌ๐ง boring ๐ช๐ธ egoista – ๐ฌ๐ง selfish ๐ช๐ธ testarudo – ๐ฌ๐ง stubborn ๐ช๐ธ malcriado – ๐ฌ๐ง spoiled, naughty ๐ช๐ธ presumido – ๐ฌ๐ง smug ๐ช๐ธ envidioso – ๐ฌ๐ง envious ๐ช๐ธ cobarde – ๐ฌ๐ง cowardly ๐ช๐ธ gruรฑon- ๐ฌ๐ง grumpy ๐ช๐ธ tacaรฑo – ๐ฌ๐ง stingy ๐ช๐ธ entrometido – ๐ฌ๐ง intrusive ๐ช๐ธ provocador – ๐ฌ๐ง provocative ๐ช๐ธ maรฑoso – ๐ฌ๐ง fussy, picky ๐ช๐ธ caprichoso – ๐ฌ๐ง moody ๐ช๐ธ arrogante – ๐ฌ๐ง arrogant ๐ช๐ธ distraรญdo – ๐ฌ๐ง absent-minded ๐ช๐ธ travieso – ๐ฌ๐ง mischievous (about a child) ๐ช๐ธ asustadizo – ๐ฌ๐ง easily-frightened ๐ช๐ธ impulsivo – ๐ฌ๐ง impulsive ๐ช๐ธ bruto – ๐ฌ๐ง rough ๐ช๐ธ agresivo – ๐ฌ๐ง aggressive ๐ช๐ธ enojรณn – ๐ฌ๐ง cranky ๐ช๐ธ irritable – ๐ฌ๐ง irritable |
As you can see, some of these words are very similar to English. Spanish is packed with these so-called โcognates,โ which makes it easy to learn and an excellent second language choice.
Watch out for false cognates, though.
Now, how about a little guessing game?
I am going to describe one of these personality traits in Spanish. Your job will be to find the right name for it.
Ready? Letโs s start:
1. ๐ช๐ธ Alguien que nunca se estresa.
๐ฌ๐ง Someone who never gets stressed.
2. ๐ช๐ธ A esta persona no le gusta gastar dinero.
๐ฌ๐ง This person doesnโt like spending money.
3. ๐ช๐ธ Alguien que piensa solo en sรญ mismo, no le importan los demรกs.
๐ฌ๐ง Someone who only thinks about themselves and doesnโt care about others.
4. ๐ช๐ธ Alguien que nunca dice โgraciasโ ni โpor favorโ.
๐ฌ๐ง Someone who never says โthank youโ or โplease.โ
5. ๐ช๐ธ Esta persona no te abandonarรก nunca.
๐ฌ๐ง This person will never abandon you.
6. ๐ช๐ธ Alguien que se cree mejor que todos los demรกs.
๐ฌ๐ง Someone who thinks they are better than others.
7. ๐ช๐ธ Alguien que cambia de humor a cada rato.
๐ฌ๐ง Someone who changes their mood all the time.
๐ช๐ธ Test Your Spanish Knowledge ๐ช๐ธ
The correct answers are:
- ๐ช๐ธ relajado – ๐ฌ๐ง relaxed
- ๐ช๐ธ tacaรฑo – ๐ฌ๐ง stingy
- ๐ช๐ธ egoista – ๐ฌ๐ง selfish
- ๐ช๐ธ mal educado – ๐ฌ๐ง rude
- ๐ช๐ธ leal, fiel – ๐ฌ๐ง loyal
- ๐ช๐ธ presumido – ๐ฌ๐ง smug
- ๐ช๐ธ caprichoso – ๐ฌ๐ง moody
Personality traits in Spanish – essential grammar rules
As a teacher, I wouldnโt forgive myself if I didnโt explain some basic grammar rules you have to bear in mind when describing someoneโs personality with the use of adjectives.
For native English speakers who are just starting to learn Spanish, one of the most important differences between these two languages – which in fact leads to common mistakes – is the fact that Spanish adjectives have gender, and they pluralize.
What does it mean?
It means two things:
- You will have to adjust the form of certain adjectives depending on the gender of the person you are describing. Have a look:
Pablo es tรญmido. – masculine form
Marรญa es tรญmida. – feminine form
Mi abuelo es muy gruรฑรณn. – masculine form
Mi vecina es muy gruรฑona. – feminine form
Luckily, you don’t have to adjust the gender of all adjectives. Only the ones that finish with an โO,โ โรNโ and โOR.โ The other ones keep the same form independently if the person is a woman or a man:
Juan es responsable.
Lorena es responsable.
Pedro es muy leal.
Marรญa es muy leal.
- You also need to remember about changing singular to plural if you are describing more than one person. There are no exceptions to this rule. The plural form in Spanish requires you to add โ-sโ after a vowel or โ-esโ after a consonant
Have a look at what different adjectives describing personality traits in Spanish will look like when you change them from singular to plural:
SINGULAR | PLURAL | |
MASCULINE | travieso trabajador gruรฑรณn leal eficiente | traviesos trabajadores gruรฑones leales eficientes |
FEMININE | traviesa trabajadora gruรฑona leal eficiente | traviesas trabajadoras gruรฑonas leales eficientes |
Using Spanish Personality Traits in Context
When do we talk about personality in real life?
There are so many different situations! Just to name a few:
- when we make evaluations (laboral or psychological),
- when we gossip or complain about others,
- when we talk about what weโd like to change about ourselves,
- when we express our appreciation,
- in resumes and job ads.
Do you want to see some examples?
๐ช๐ธ Mรณnica es una niรฑa muy desordenada.
๐ฌ๐ง Mรณnica is a very messy girl.
๐ช๐ธ Nicolรกs es la persona mรกs generosa que conozco.
๐ฌ๐ง Nicolรกs is the most generous person I know.
๐ช๐ธ Buscamos a alguien confiable y responsable.
๐ฌ๐ง We are looking for someone trustworthy and responsible.
๐ช๐ธ Ojalรก no fueras tan testarudo.
๐ฌ๐ง I wish you werenโt so stubborn.
๐ช๐ธ Si fueras menos gruรฑรณn, tendrรญas mรกs amigos.
๐ฌ๐ง If you were less grumpy, youโd have more friends.
๐ช๐ธ Quisiera ser mรกs extrovertida.
๐ฌ๐ง Iโd like to be more outgoing.
๐ช๐ธ Soy creativo e ingenioso.
๐ฌ๐ง I am creative and ingenious.
๐ช๐ธ No puedes ser tan bruto o nunca encontrarรกs una novia.
๐ฌ๐ง You canโt be so rough (such a brute), or youโll never find a girlfriend.
๐ช๐ธ Buscamos a alguien confiable y responsable.
๐ฌ๐ง We are looking for someone trustworthy and responsible.
๐ช๐ธ No puedes ser tan tacaรฑo. Te corresponde a tรญ pagar esta vez.
๐ฌ๐ง You canโt be so stingy. It is your turn to pay this time.
๐ช๐ธ Rompรญ con mi novio porque era demasiado celoso.
๐ฌ๐ง I broke up with my boyfriend because he was too jealous.
๐ช๐ธ Eres demasiado impulsivo, debes trabajar en eso.
๐ฌ๐ง Youโre too impulsive; you have to work on that.
๐ช๐ธ Los que trabajan con Pedro se quejan de que es muy engreรญdo.
๐ฌ๐ง Those who work with Pedro complain about him being very arrogant.
๐ช๐ธ El seรฑor Gonzales no es tan trabajador como pensรกbamos. Ademรกs, es bastante impuntual.
๐ฌ๐ง Mr. Gonzales is not as hard-working as we thought. Besides, he is quite unpunctual.
Muy, Bastante, Demasiado and Other Adverbs to take Personality Traits in Spanish to a Whole New Level
Have you noticed that a personality trait can have different degrees?
You can be really lazy or a little lazy.
Very patient, quite patient, or extremely patient.
What are some common adverbs of degree in Spanish?
- ๐ช๐ธ demasiado arrogante – ๐ฌ๐ง too arrogant
- ๐ช๐ธ extremadamente cariรฑoso – ๐ฌ๐ง extremely affectionate
- ๐ช๐ธ muy testarudo – ๐ฌ๐ง very stubborn
- ๐ช๐ธ bastante eficiente – ๐ฌ๐ง quite efficient
- ๐ช๐ธ igual de alegre como – ๐ฌ๐ง as happy as
- ๐ช๐ธ un poco inmaduro – ๐ฌ๐ง a little immature
- ๐ช๐ธ mรกs responsable que antes – ๐ฌ๐ง more responsible than before
- ๐ช๐ธ ya no tan cobarde – ๐ฌ๐ง not so cowardly anymore
- ๐ช๐ธ mucho mรกs / menos celoso – ๐ฌ๐ง much more / less jealous
Using these kinds of adverb-adjective combinations will not only help improve your Spanish proficiency level but also allow you to participate in any conversation about personality traits.
๐ช๐ธ
A: ยฟQuรฉ te gustarรญa cambiar de tรญ mismo?
B: Quisiera ser menos irritable y un poco mรกs persistente.
๐ฌ๐ง
A: What would you like to change about yourself?
B: Iโd like to be less irritable and a little more persistent.
๐ช๐ธ
A: ยฟMamรก, quรฉ opinas de Andrรฉs?
B: Honestamente, es mucho mรกs simpรกtico y respetuoso que tu ex-novio.
๐ฌ๐ง
A: Mom, what do you think about Andres?
B: Honestly, he is much nicer and more respectful than your ex-boyfriend.
๐ช๐ธ
A: ยฟPor quรฉ crees que deberรญamos contratarte?
B: Porque soy extremadamente eficiente, bastante autรณnomo y muy poco exigente.
๐ฌ๐ง
A: Why do you think we should hire you?
B: Because I am extremely efficient, quite autonomous and very low-maintenance.
๐ช๐ธ
A: No has cambiado nada con los aรฑos. Sigues igual de inmaduro como antes.
B: Y tรบ has cambiado mucho. Antes no eras tan quejona.
๐ฌ๐ง
A: You havenโt changed a bit in all these years. Youโre still as immature as before.
B: And you have changed a lot. You werenโt such a moaner before.
Personality Traits in Spanish – How to Make Opposites with Prefixes
Since Spanish and English share common roots, it should come as no surprise that many antonyms are formed using similar Latin prefixes that appear in English.
Many negative personality traits can be created in the same way:
IN-
๐ช๐ธ tolerante – intolerante
๐ฌ๐ง tolerant- intolerant
๐ช๐ธ seguro – inseguro
๐ฌ๐ง confident – insecure
๐ช๐ธ eficiente- ineficiente
๐ฌ๐ง efficient- inefficient
๐ช๐ธ quieto – inquieto
๐ฌ๐ง quiet- restless
๐ช๐ธ sensible – insensible
๐ฌ๐ง sensitive- insensitive
๐ช๐ธ maduro – inmaduro
๐ฌ๐ง mature- immature
IR-
๐ช๐ธ responsable – irresponsable
๐ฌ๐ง mature- immature
๐ช๐ธ racional – irracional
๐ฌ๐ง rational – irrational
Donโt let yourself be misguided, though. The fact that a personality trait starts with an โIRโ in Spanish doesnโt always mean you can take it away and form the opposite word.
๐ช๐ธ irritable – ๐ฌ๐ง cranky
or
๐ช๐ธ irรณnico – ๐ฌ๐ง ironic
are just words on their own.
DES-
๐ช๐ธ honesto – deshonesto
๐ฌ๐ง honest – dishonest
๐ช๐ธ considerado – desconsiderado
๐ฌ๐ง considerate – inconsiderate
๐ช๐ธ confiado- desconfiado
๐ฌ๐ง trustful – distrustful
๐ช๐ธ cuidadoso – descuidado
๐ฌ๐ง careful – careless
๐ช๐ธ obediente- desobediente
๐ฌ๐ง obedient – disobedient
๐ช๐ธ ordenado – desordenado
๐ฌ๐ง tidy – messy
Letโs see how these words work in sentences:
๐ช๐ธ De chico era muy confiado, pero la vida me ha enseรฑado a ser mรกs desconfiado.
๐ฌ๐ง When I was a child, I used to be very trusty, but life has taught me to be more distrustful.
๐ช๐ธ Juan es ultra intolerante con las opiniones de otras personas.
๐ฌ๐ง Juan is super intolerant with other peopleโs opinions.
๐ช๐ธ Deberรญas tomar el ejemplo de tu hermana. Ella es tan cuidadosa y tรบ tan descuidada.
๐ฌ๐ง You should take your sisterโs example. She is so careful, and you are so careless.
๐ช๐ธ Si sigues asรญ de irresponsable e inmaduro, nunca conseguirรกs un trabajo.
๐ฌ๐ง If you keep on being so irresponsible and immature, youโll never get a job.
Playing with Words- How to Change Personality Traits from Adjectives to Nouns
Do you like word games?
I simply love them! As a teacher, I can tell you they are one of the best ways to build your Spanish vocabulary. Another one – of course – is reading books in Spanish, which you can start doing even if you are still an A-level student.
The first thing we can do with adjectives describing personality traits is to turn them into concept nouns:
๐ช๐ธ amable – la amabilidad
๐ฌ๐ง kind – kindness
๐ช๐ธ celoso – los celos
๐ฌ๐ง jealous – jealousy
๐ช๐ธ alegre – la alegrรญa
๐ฌ๐ง happy – happiness
๐ช๐ธ sencillo – la sencillez
๐ฌ๐ง simple – simplicity
๐ช๐ธ generoso – la generosidad
๐ฌ๐ง generous- generosity
๐ช๐ธ flojo- la flojera
๐ฌ๐ง lazy – laziness
๐ช๐ธ inseguro- la inseguridad
๐ฌ๐ง insecure – insecurity
๐ช๐ธ bien educado – la buena educaciรณn
๐ฌ๐ง polite – politeness
๐ช๐ธ irรณnico – la ironรญa
๐ฌ๐ง ironic – irony
๐ช๐ธ tolerante – la tolerancia
๐ฌ๐ง tolerant – tolerance
๐ช๐ธ tranquilo – la tranquilidad
๐ฌ๐ง quiet, tranquil- tranquility
Do you think you could use these new nouns in context?
Iโll give you a hand:
๐ช๐ธ Lo que mรกs me gusta de Francisco es su amabilidad y su tranquilidad.
๐ฌ๐ง What I like the most about Francisco are his kindness and his tranquility.
๐ช๐ธ Tu falta de tolerancia es lo que hace que la gente se aleje de tรญ.
๐ฌ๐ง Your lack of tolerance is what makes people pull away from you.
๐ช๐ธ La generosidad es una virtud poco vista en el mundo de hoy.
๐ฌ๐ง Generosity is a virtue you donโt see too often in todayโs world.
๐ช๐ธ Creo que la ironรญa con la que Jorge trata a la gente es su mecanismo de defensa.
๐ฌ๐ง I think the irony Jorge treats people with is his defense mechanism.
๐ช๐ธ Mis padres me han enseรฑado que la buena educaciรณn abre muchas puertas.
๐ฌ๐ง My parents have taught me that politeness opens many doors.
๐ช๐ธ Tienes que luchar contra tus inseguridades antes de que se transformen en fobias.
๐ฌ๐ง You have to fight against your insecurities before they turn into phobias.
***
Thatโs all for today, folks! I hope you enjoyed todayโs post.
With all the tips and examples, youโll soon be able to talk about personality traits in Spanish like a pro!