To talk about physical appearance, first general words are used like handsome, ugly, attractive, normal and eye-catching. These words serve to give a global impression before getting into details. Expressions like have a good appearance and look good also come up a lot. In a conversation, someone might say: My sister is very handsome or That actor has a very elegant look. When you want to describe a known person without giving too many traits, these words are enough. If you also need to talk about character, it can be combined with vocabulary of Personality and Emotions.

físicoimagenrasgosaspectoaparienciaatractivoportefigurasemblantepresencia

---

La forma del cuerpo vista de manera generalLa expresión visible del rostro de una personaLos detalles concretos de la cara o del cuerpoLa cualidad de resultar agradable a la vistaLa impresión que alguien causa al estar delante de otras personasLa forma en que se ve una persona por fueraEl conjunto de rasgos corporales que se pueden observarLa imagen general que alguien transmite al mirar su cuerpo o su caraLa impresión visual o mental que deja una personaLa manera de llevar el cuerpo al caminar o estar de pie

Basic vocabulary to describe appearance

Word	Definition
apariencia	The way a person looks on the outside.
aspecto	The overall image someone conveys when looking at their body or face.
físico	The set of bodily features that can be observed.
rasgos	The concrete details of the face or body.
semblante	The visible expression on a person's face.
presencia	The impression someone makes when standing in front of others.
porte	The way of carrying the body while walking or standing.
imagen	The visual or mental impression a person leaves.
figura	The shape of the body seen in a general way.
atractivo	The quality of being pleasing to the eye.

Scramble

Height is described with alto, bajo and mediano. For body constitution, delgado, gordo, corpulento, atlético, fuerte, flaco, ancho and esbelto are used. Delgado and flaco do not mean the same in all contexts: delgado is usually neutral, while flaco can sound more informal. Corpulento describes a person who is big and solid, not necessarily heavy. Atlético is used for someone with an athletic body. In normal sentences, the adjective goes after the verb ser: Es alto, Es muy fuerte, Tiene un cuerpo esbelto. In a gym, on the street, or when talking about a relative, these words allow for a quick and clear description. If the constitution relates to specific parts of the body, vocabulary from Partes del Cuerpo can also appear.

delgadogordoaltobajofuerteanchocorpulentoflacoatléticoesbelto

---

Que tiene poco volumen corporalQue tiene poca alturaQue tiene cuerpo fuerte y en formaQue tiene una figura fina y eleganteQue tiene mucha alturaQue tiene un cuerpo grande y robustoQue tiene gran anchura en hombros o cuerpoQue tiene mucho volumen corporalQue tiene mucha fuerza físicaQue tiene muy poco peso o volumen

Vocabulary for height and body build

Word	Definition
alto	That has a lot of height.
bajo	That has little height.
delgado	That has low body mass.
gordo	That has a lot of body mass.
corpulento	That has a big, robust body.
atlético	That has a strong, fit body.
fuerte	That has a lot of physical strength.
flaco	That has very little weight or volume.
ancho	That has great width in shoulders or body.
esbelto	That has a slender and elegant figure.

Scramble

Hair is described with color, texture and shape. For color, rubio, moreno, canoso and pelirrojo are used. For texture, rizado and liso are the most common words. For length and style, corto, largo, media melena and recogido are said. Recogido is used when the hair is tied, pulled back, or styled backwards. In a complete description, several ideas can be combined: Tiene el pelo largo y rizado or Lleva el pelo corto y canoso. It is also normal to talk about el pelo instead of el cabello in everyday use. A hairstyle changes a lot the overall impression, just like other visible features from Personality and Emotions, when you want to describe someone’s style. In family contexts, color and hair shape appear often when talking about Family and Relationships.

morenorecogidocanosolargorubiocortopelirrojomedia melenalisorizado

---

Que lleva el cabello atado o sujeto hacia atrásQue tiene el cabello de mucha longitudQue tiene el cabello de color oscuroQue tiene el cabello de longitud intermediaQue tiene el cabello de color claro doradoQue tiene el cabello sin ondas ni rizosQue tiene rizos o ondas marcadasQue tiene el cabello con muchas canasQue tiene el cabello de poca longitudQue tiene el cabello de tono rojo o anaranjado

Vocabulary for hair and style

Word	Definition
rubio	That has hair of light golden color.
moreno	That has hair of dark color.
canoso	That has hair with many gray hairs.
rizado	That has curled or wavy hair.
liso	That has hair without waves or curls.
pelirrojo	That has hair of red or orange hue.
corto	That has hair of short length.
largo	That has hair of great length.
media melena	That has hair of intermediate length.
recogido	That wears the hair tied back or up.

Scramble

The eyes are described with size, color and expression. You say ojos grandes, ojos pequeños, ojos claros, ojos oscuros and ojos expresivos. Claros usually refers to blue, green or gray eyes; oscuros is used for brown or very dark eyes. On the face, cara redonda and cara alargada are very common descriptions. Concrete features like nariz grande and labios finos also appear. To connect these ideas, simple structures are used: Tiene ojos grandes, Tiene la cara redonda, Lleva una nariz grande. The face is usually described by visible features that help recognize a person easily, just like certain characteristics from Partes del Cuerpo. When you want to talk about someone’s expression, facial features help a lot to convey how they look at that moment.

cara alargadaojos claroscara redondaojos pequeñosojos oscurosojos expresivosfrente amplianariz grandeojos grandeslabios finos

---

Que tiene mirada que comunica muchoQue tiene ojos de color oscuroQue tiene labios de poco grosorQue tiene una forma facial largaQue tiene ojos de tamaño reducidoQue tiene ojos de gran tamañoQue tiene una nariz de tamaño notableQue tiene una forma facial circularQue tiene una frente de gran tamañoQue tiene ojos de color claro

Vocabulary for eyes and face

Word	Definition
ojos grandes	That has large eyes.
ojos pequeños	That has small eyes.
ojos claros	That has light-colored eyes.
ojos oscuros	That has dark-colored eyes.
ojos expresivos	That has a gaze that communicates a lot.
cara redonda	That has a round facial shape.
cara alargada	That has an elongated facial shape.
nariz grande	That has a notable nose size.
labios finos	That has thin lips.
frente amplia	That has a broad forehead.

Scramble

Apparent age is expressed with joven, adulto, mayor and de mediana edad. These words do not indicate exact age, but visual impression. Joven is used for someone who seems young. Mayor indicates an older person. De mediana edad places someone between youth and old age. For the skin, moreno, pálido, bronceado, con pecas and sin barba are used. Moreno can refer to skin color or to someone who tans a lot. Pálido describes pale or colorless skin. Bronceado is used a lot after the beach or summer. Con pecas indicates small spots on the skin, especially on the face. Sin barba describes the male face when there is no facial hair. These words often appear in brief and precise physical descriptions, often together with data about overall appearance.

sin barbasonrojadoadultopálidocon pecasmorenobronceadomayorjovenmediana edad

---

Que tiene poca edad o aspecto juvenilQue tiene la piel oscurecida por el solQue tiene la piel algo roja por emoción o calorQue está en la etapa intermedia de la vidaQue tiene más edad o parece de edad avanzadaQue tiene la cara afeitada o sin vello facialQue tiene pequeñas manchas en la pielQue tiene edad de persona maduraQue tiene la piel de tono oscuro o bronceadoQue tiene la piel muy clara

Vocabulary for apparent age and skin

Word	Definition
joven	That has a young appearance or age.
adulto	That has adult age.
mayor	That has more age or seems older.
mediana edad	That is in the middle stage of life.
moreno	That has skin tone that is dark or bronze.
pálido	That has very light skin.
bronceado	That has skin darkened by the sun.
con pecas	That has small freckles on the skin.
sin barba	That has a shaven or hairless face.
sonrojado	That has skin slightly red from emotion or heat.

Scramble

Beard and mustache are very visible features on the face. Barba can be larga, corta, espesa or cuidadas. Bigote is used for the hair above the upper lip. For objects that a person wears, gafas is a basic and very common word. Earrings and tattoos are also common. Lleva gafas describes someone who wears them at that moment or regularly. Lleva pendientes refers to the adornments in the ears. Tiene tatuajes speaks of permanent marks on the skin. In daily life, these details help identify a person more than clothing, and they usually appear in descriptions of acquaintances, employees or characters in a story. If the description includes family features, it can be related to Family and Relationships.

aroperillapendientespatillastatuajessombrerobigotebarbagafaspiercing

---

El vello facial que queda solo en el mentónLos dibujos permanentes en la pielLas joyas que se llevan en las orejasEl pendiente de forma circularEl vello que crece sobre el labio superiorEl vello que crece en la barbilla y las mejillasLa prenda que se lleva sobre la cabezaEl vello o corte de pelo junto a las orejasEl accesorio para ver mejor o proteger los ojosEl adorno colocado en una parte del cuerpo

Vocabulary for facial hair and visible accessories

Word	Definition
barba	The facial hair on the chin and cheeks.
bigote	The hair that grows above the upper lip.
gafas	The glasses for seeing better or protecting the eyes.
pendientes	The jewelry worn on the ears.
tatuajes	The permanent drawings on the skin.
perilla	The facial hair remaining only on the chin.
patillas	The facial hair or hairline next to the ears.
aro	The circular pendant.
piercing	The body piercing jewelry.
sombrero	The hat worn on the head.

Scramble

The most common forms to describe a person are ser + adjetivo, tener + sustantivo and llevar + sustantivo. With ser you talk about general traits: Es alta, Es moreno, Es joven. With tener you describe parts of the body or concrete characteristics: Tiene ojos claros, Tiene la cara alargada, Tiene barba. With llevar you mention visible elements at that moment: Lleva gafas, Lleva el pelo recogido, Lleva pendientes. Another very useful formula is es de + sustantivo to indicate constitution or type: Es de complexión fuerte, Es de pelo oscuro. In a real conversation, these structures mix naturally: Es una mujer alta, con pelo corto y gafas. To describe someone precisely, first you set the general impression and then you add visible details.

Common Ways to Describe People

Usage	Explanation
To seem by appearance	Use parecer to say how we think someone is based on what we see.
To wear garments or accessories	Use llevar to talk about clothes, glasses, a beard or visible adornments.
To have physical traits	Use tener to describe parts of the body or concrete physical characteristics.
Describe with es de	Use es de to talk about a general physical quality with a lot of naturalness.
Compare with an image	A comparison is used when we want to make the description more vivid and fun.
Talk about changes in appearance	Used to explain that appearance can vary over time or in a situation.
Present a positive impression	Used to highlight a trait that gives a good impression of a person.
Mention visible features	Used to list features that are easily seen without going into long details.

Some words change tone depending on the context. Moreno can mean dark skin, dark hair or a person who tans easily. In many places, it does not describe only hair color; it can also refer to skin color. Gordo can sound neutral in informal conversation, but in careful description it is usually preferable to corpulento, relleno or de constitución grande. The order of adjectives can also change the emphasis. Un hombre alto presents a basic trait. Un alto hombre sounds more literary or emphasizes height more strongly. The same happens with other descriptions: una mujer joven is normal, while una joven mujer puts more attention on age. In everyday Spanish, the most common is to use the adjective after the noun, and to change the order only when you want to mark style or emphasis.

chinoflacopelo paradogüeromorenomulatogordolook

---

Se usa para hablar de la imagen general o estilo de una personaEn algunas zonas puede referirse a cabello rizadoPuede referirse a una persona de rasgos mezclados en contextos concretosPuede sonar muy cotidiano para una persona delgadaPuede sonar más coloquial o cariñoso según el contextoSe usa mucho para una persona de piel o cabello clarosDescribe el cabello que está levantado o erizadoSuele significar cabello oscuro y no siempre color de piel

Regional and tonal nuances in appearance

Region	Variant	Definition	Example
Spain	moreno	Usually means dark hair and not always skin color.	En España dicen que es moreno y tiene el pelo negro.In Spain they say he is moreno and has black hair.
Mexico	güero	Used a lot for a person with light skin or hair.	En México le dicen güero porque tiene el pelo rubio.In Mexico they call him güero because he has blond hair.
Argentina	gordo	Can sound more colloquial or affectionate depending on context.	En Argentina a veces dicen gordo con mucho afecto.In Argentina they sometimes say gordo with a lot of affection.
Colombia	chino	In some areas may refer to curly hair.	En Colombia dicen que el niño es chino porque tiene rizos.In Colombia they say the boy is chino because he has curls.
Chile	pelo parado	Describes hair that is lifted or frizzy.	En Chile dicen que va con el pelo parado después del viento.In Chile they say he goes with the pelo parado after the wind.
United States	look	Used to talk about the overall image or style of a person.	Tiene un look muy moderno y divertido.Has a very modern and fun look.
Peru	flaco	Can sound very common for a slim person.	En Perú dicen que está flaco porque no para de caminar.In Peru they say he looks flaco because he can't stop walking.
Cuba	mulato	May refer to a person of mixed features in specific contexts.	En Cuba a veces describen así a una persona mulato con naturalidad.In Cuba they sometimes describe a person mulato with ease.

Scramble