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Portuguese Essential Vocabulary for Describing People
Learning a new language can be challenging, but mastering essential vocabulary is a significant first step. If you’re diving into European Portuguese, understanding how to describe people physically and psychologically will enhance your communication skills and cultural understanding. Here’s some essential vocabulary for describing people in European Portuguese.
Physical Descriptions
General Appearance
- Tall: Alto/Alta
- Short: Baixo/Baixa
- Thin: Magro/Magra
- Fat: Gordo/Gorda
- Athletic: Atlético/Atlética
Hair
- Hair: Cabelo
- Short hair: Cabelo curto
- Long hair: Cabelo comprido
- Straight hair: Cabelo liso
- Wavy hair: Cabelo ondulado
- Curly hair: Cabelo encaracolado
- Blonde hair: Cabelo loiro
- Brown hair: Cabelo castanho
- Black hair: Cabelo preto
- Red hair: Cabelo ruivo
Eyes
- Eyes: Olhos
- Blue eyes: Olhos azuis
- Green eyes: Olhos verdes
- Brown eyes: Olhos castanhos
- Black eyes: Olhos pretos
Other Features
- Face: Rosto
- Beard: Barba
- Mustache: Bigode
- Freckles: Sardas
- Glasses: Óculos
Psychological Descriptions
Personality Traits
- Friendly: Amigável
- Nice: Simpático/Simpática
- Unfriendly: Antipático/Antipática
- Outgoing: Extrovertido/Extrovertida
- Introverted: Introvertido/Introvertida
- Fun: Divertido/Divertida
- Serious: Sério/Séria
Emotional States
- Happy: Feliz
- Sad: Triste
- Anxious: Ansioso/Ansiosa
- Calm: Calmo/Calma
- Angry: Zangado/Zangada
- In love: Apaixonado/Apaixonada
Intelligence and Abilities
- Intelligent: Inteligente
- Clever: Esperto/Esperta
- Creative: Criativo/Criativa
- Hardworking: Trabalhador/Trabalhadora
- Lazy: Preguiçoso/Preguiçosa
Combining Physical and Psychological Descriptions
When describing someone in European Portuguese, you can combine physical and psychological traits to give a fuller picture. For example:
- Ela é alta e tem cabelo comprido e liso. É muito simpática e divertida. (She is tall and has long, straight hair. She is very nice and fun.)
- Ele é baixo e tem olhos castanhos. É um pouco introvertido, mas muito inteligente. (He is short and has brown eyes. He is a bit introverted but very intelligent.)
Practice Makes Perfect
To get comfortable with these terms, practice by describing people you know or characters from books and movies. Engage in conversations with native speakers and pay attention to how they describe others. Over time, you’ll become more confident in your ability to use these descriptions naturally and accurately. Boa sorte!
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