Spanish

Personality Traits in Spanish – Over 80 Essential Words and Phrases

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 Iโ€™ve ever met. Luckily, my kids take after him and donโ€™t fret about insignificant things.

How about you? What is it that you like about your personality? Is there anything youโ€™d like to change?

And most importantly: do you know how to talk about personality traits – โ€œrazgos de personalidadโ€ –  in Spanish?

How many of the words below do you know?

Personality Traits in Spanish – 12 Must-Know Words

  • ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ bueno – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง good
  • ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ simpรกtico – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง nice
  • ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ alegre– ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง cheerful
  • ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ divertido– ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง funny
  • ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ generoso– ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง generous
  • ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ amigable– ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง friendly
  • ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ malo – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง bad, mean
  • ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ tรญmido– ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง shy
  • ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ celoso – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง jealous
  • ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ desordenado – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง messy
  • ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ perezoso / flojo – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง 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.

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ Juan es simpรกtico.
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง Juan is nice.

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ Eres muy perezoso.
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง You are very lazy.

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ Soy tรญmido.
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง 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.

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ Sofรญa estรก muy alegre hoy.
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง Sofรญa is cheerful today.

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ ยฟQuรฉ te pasรณ? ยฟPor quรฉ estรกs tan malo conmigo?
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง Whatโ€™s happened to you? Why are you so mean to me?

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ Pedro hoy estรก tรญmido porque hay mucha gente que no conoce. 
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง Pedro is shy because there are many people he doesnโ€™t 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.

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ Las Virtudes – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง Virtues๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ Los Defectos – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง Vices
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ confiable – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง trustworthy
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ amable – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง kind
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ responsable – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง responsible
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ ahorrativo – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง thrifty
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ respetuoso – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง respectful
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ considerado – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง considerate
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ bien educado / cortรฉs – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง polite
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ paciente – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง patient
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ relajado – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง relaxed
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ estudioso – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง studious
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ fiel / leal – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง loyal
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ gracioso – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง funny / gracious
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ ingenioso – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง ingenious
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ listo – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง smart
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ sensible – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง sensitive
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ sensato – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง sensible
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ seguro de sรญ mismo – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง self-confident
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ valiente – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง brave
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ trabajador – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง hard-working
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ eficiente – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง efficient
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ tranquilo – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง quiet
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ extrovertido – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง outgoing
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ creativo – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง creative
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ cariรฑoso – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง affectionate
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ persistente – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง persistent
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ mal educado– ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง rude
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ mandรณn – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง bossy
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ mentiroso – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง liar
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ aburrido – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง boring
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ egoista – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง selfish
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ testarudo – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง stubborn
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ malcriado – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง spoiled, naughty
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ presumido – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง smug
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ envidioso – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง envious
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ cobarde – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง cowardly
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ gruรฑon- ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง grumpy
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ tacaรฑo – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง stingy
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ entrometido – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง intrusive
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ provocador – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง provocative
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ maรฑoso – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง fussy, picky
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ caprichoso – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง moody
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ arrogante – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง arrogant
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ distraรญdo – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง absent-minded
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ travieso – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง mischievous (about a child)
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ asustadizo – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง easily-frightened
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ impulsivo – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง impulsive
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ bruto – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง rough
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ agresivo – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง aggressive
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ enojรณn – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง cranky
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ irritable – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง irritable

As you can see, some of these words are very similar to English. Spanish is packed with these so-called โ€œcognates,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? Letโ€™s s start:

1. ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ Alguien que nunca se estresa.
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง Someone who never gets stressed. 

2. ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ A esta persona no le gusta gastar dinero.
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง This person doesnโ€™t like spending money.

3. ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ Alguien que piensa solo en sรญ mismo, no le importan los demรกs.
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง Someone who only thinks about themselves and doesnโ€™t care about others. 

4. ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ Alguien que nunca dice โ€œgraciasโ€ ni โ€œpor favorโ€.
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง Someone who never says โ€œthank youโ€ or โ€œplease.โ€

5. ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ Esta persona no te abandonarรก nunca. 
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง This person will never abandon you.

6. ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ Alguien que se cree mejor que todos los demรกs. 
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง Someone who thinks they are better than others.

7. ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ Alguien que cambia de humor a cada rato. 
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง Someone who changes their mood all the time. 

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ Test Your Spanish Knowledge ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ

The correct answers are:

  1. ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ relajado – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง relaxed
  2. ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ tacaรฑo – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง stingy
  3. ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ egoista – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง selfish
  4. ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ mal educado – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง rude
  5. ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ leal, fiel – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง loyal
  6. ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ presumido – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง smug
  7. ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ caprichoso – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง moody

Personality traits in Spanish – essential grammar rules

As a teacher, I wouldnโ€™t forgive myself if I didnโ€™t explain some basic grammar rules you have to bear in mind when describing someoneโ€™s 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:

  1. 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  โ€œO,โ€ โ€œร“Nโ€ and โ€œOR.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.

  1. 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€œ-sโ€ after a vowel or โ€œ-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:

SINGULARPLURAL
MASCULINEtravieso
trabajador
gruรฑรณn
leal
eficiente
traviesos
trabajadores
gruรฑones
leales
eficientes
FEMININEtraviesa
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 weโ€™d like to change about ourselves,
  • when we express our appreciation,
  • in resumes and job ads.

Do you want to see some examples?


๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ Mรณnica es una niรฑa muy desordenada.
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง Mรณnica is a very messy girl. 

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ Nicolรกs es la persona mรกs generosa que conozco.
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง Nicolรกs is the most generous person I know. 

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ Buscamos a alguien confiable y responsable.
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง We are looking for someone trustworthy and responsible. 

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ Ojalรก no fueras tan testarudo.
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง I wish you werenโ€™t so stubborn. 

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ Si fueras menos gruรฑรณn, tendrรญas mรกs amigos. 
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง If you were less grumpy, youโ€™d have more friends. 

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ Quisiera ser mรกs extrovertida.
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง Iโ€™d like to be more outgoing. 

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ Soy creativo e ingenioso.
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง I am creative and ingenious. 

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ No puedes ser tan bruto o nunca encontrarรกs una novia.
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง You canโ€™t be so rough (such a brute), or youโ€™ll never find a girlfriend.

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ Buscamos a alguien confiable y responsable.
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง We are looking for someone trustworthy and responsible. 

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ No puedes ser tan tacaรฑo. Te corresponde a tรญ pagar esta vez.
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง You canโ€™t be so stingy. It is your turn to pay this time.

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ Rompรญ con mi novio porque era demasiado celoso. 
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง I broke up with my boyfriend because he was too jealous. 

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ Eres demasiado impulsivo, debes trabajar en eso. 
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง Youโ€™re too impulsive; you have to work on that. 

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ Los que trabajan con Pedro se quejan de que es muy engreรญdo.
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง Those who work with Pedro complain about him being very arrogant. 

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ El seรฑor Gonzales no es tan trabajador como pensรกbamos. Ademรกs, es bastante impuntual. 
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง 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?

  • ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ demasiado arrogante – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง too arrogant
  • ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ extremadamente cariรฑoso  – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง extremely affectionate
  • ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ muy testarudo  – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง very stubborn
  • ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ bastante eficiente  – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง quite efficient
  • ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ igual de alegre como – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง as happy as
  • ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ un poco inmaduro  – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง a little immature
  • ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ mรกs responsable que antes  – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง more responsible than before
  • ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ ya no tan cobarde – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง not so cowardly anymore
  • ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ mucho mรกs / menos celoso  – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง 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. 

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ
A: ยฟQuรฉ te gustarรญa cambiar de tรญ mismo?
B: Quisiera ser menos irritable y un poco mรกs persistente. 
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง
A: What would you like to change about yourself?
B: Iโ€™d like to be less irritable and a little more persistent. 

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ
A: ยฟMamรก, quรฉ opinas de Andrรฉs?
B: Honestamente, es mucho mรกs simpรกtico y respetuoso que tu ex-novio.
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง
A: Mom, what do you think about Andres?
B: Honestly, he is much nicer and more respectful than your ex-boyfriend. 

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ
A: ยฟPor quรฉ crees que deberรญamos contratarte?
B: Porque soy extremadamente eficiente, bastante autรณnomo y muy poco exigente.
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง
A: Why do you think we should hire you?
B: Because I am extremely efficient, quite autonomous and very low-maintenance. 

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ
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. 
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง
A: You havenโ€™t changed a bit in all these years. Youโ€™re still as immature as before. 
B: And you have changed a lot. You werenโ€™t 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- 

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ tolerante – intolerante
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง tolerant- intolerant

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ seguro – inseguro
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง confident – insecure

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ eficiente- ineficiente
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง efficient- inefficient

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ quieto – inquieto
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง quiet- restless

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ sensible – insensible 
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง sensitive- insensitive

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ maduro – inmaduro
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง mature- immature

IR-

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ responsable – irresponsable
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง mature- immature

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ racional – irracional
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง rational – irrational

Donโ€™t let yourself be misguided, though. The fact that a personality trait starts with an โ€œIRโ€ in Spanish doesnโ€™t always mean you can take it away and form the opposite word.

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ irritable – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง cranky

or

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ irรณnico – ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง ironic

are just words on their own. 

DES- 

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ honesto – deshonesto
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง honest – dishonest 

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ considerado – desconsiderado
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง considerate – inconsiderate

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ confiado- desconfiado
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง trustful – distrustful

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ cuidadoso – descuidado
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง careful – careless

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ obediente- desobediente
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง obedient – disobedient

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ ordenado – desordenado
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง tidy – messy

Letโ€™s see how these words work in sentences:

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ De chico era muy confiado, pero la vida me ha enseรฑado a ser mรกs desconfiado.
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง When I was a child, I used to be very trusty, but life has taught me to be more distrustful.

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ Juan es ultra intolerante con las opiniones de otras personas.
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง Juan is super intolerant with other peopleโ€™s opinions. 

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ Deberรญas tomar el ejemplo de tu hermana. Ella es tan cuidadosa y tรบ tan descuidada.
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง You should take your sisterโ€™s example. She is so careful, and you are so careless.

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ Si sigues asรญ de irresponsable e inmaduro, nunca conseguirรกs un trabajo.
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง If you keep on being so irresponsible and immature, youโ€™ll 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:

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ amable – la amabilidad
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง kind – kindness

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ celoso – los celos
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง jealous – jealousy

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ alegre – la alegrรญa
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง happy – happiness

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ sencillo – la sencillez
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง simple – simplicity

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ generoso – la generosidad
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง generous- generosity

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ flojo- la flojera
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง lazy – laziness

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ inseguro- la inseguridad
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง insecure – insecurity

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ bien educado – la buena educaciรณn
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง polite – politeness

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ irรณnico – la ironรญa
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง ironic – irony

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ tolerante – la tolerancia
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง tolerant – tolerance

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ tranquilo – la tranquilidad
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง quiet, tranquil- tranquility

Do you think you could use these new nouns in context? 

Iโ€™ll give you a hand:

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ Lo que mรกs me gusta de Francisco es su amabilidad y su tranquilidad.
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง What I like the most about Francisco are his kindness and his tranquility.

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ Tu falta de tolerancia es lo que hace que la gente se aleje de tรญ.
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง Your lack of tolerance is what makes people pull away from you. 

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ La generosidad es una virtud poco vista en el mundo de hoy.
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง Generosity is a virtue you donโ€™t see too often in todayโ€™s world. 

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ Creo que la ironรญa con la que Jorge trata a la gente es su mecanismo de defensa.
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง I think the irony Jorge treats people with is his defense mechanism.

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ Mis padres me han enseรฑado que la buena educaciรณn abre muchas puertas.
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง My parents have taught me that politeness opens many doors. 

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ Tienes que luchar contra tus inseguridades antes de que se transformen en fobias. 
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง You have to fight against your insecurities before they turn into phobias. 

***

Thatโ€™s all for today, folks! I hope you enjoyed todayโ€™s post. 

With all the tips and examples, youโ€™ll soon be able to talk about personality traits in Spanish like a pro!

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Joanna Lupa
Joanna Lupa
Polish by birth, Chilean by the turns of life. Has spent 20 years in that beautiful South American country working as a language teacher and translator. Has taught Spanish and English to students of all proficiency levels. Passionate about languages, books, and traveling. A mother of 2 trilingual teenagers.

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