Spanish · CEFR Band 1 (A1) · Chapter 26
¿Cómo es?What is he like?
Vocabulary for describing people: alto (tall), bajo (short), joven (young), mayor (old/elderly), guapo (good-looking), simpático (nice), el pelo (hair), los ojos (eyes), rubio (blond), moreno (dark-haired). Key grammar: for TRAITS we use "ser" + adjective (Es alto = he is tall, Es simpática = she is nice — the adjective agrees in gender and number, like the colour in ch23); for concrete PHYSICAL FEATURES we use "tener" + article (Tiene el pelo rubio = he has blond hair, Tiene los ojos azules = she has blue eyes). English speakers use "ser" for physical features — "Es ojos azules" ✗ → "Tiene los ojos azules" ✓. Comparing: "más + adjective + que" (Ana es más alta que Luis = Ana is taller than Luis).
Dialogue
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Es ojos / Tiene los ojos
- Lucía¿Cómo es tu hermana?What is your sister like?
- MikeEs alta. Es ojos azules.She is tall. She is blue eyes. (slip: a physical feature uses "tener" — say "Tiene los ojos azules")
- LucíaCon el pelo y los ojos usamos "tener": "Tiene los ojos azules".With hair and eyes we use "tener": "Tiene los ojos azules".
- MikeAh, es alta y tiene los ojos azules.Ah, she is tall and has blue eyes.
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¿Quién es?— Who is she?
- Carlos¿Quién es la chica alta?Who is the tall girl?
- LucíaEs mi hermana Ana. Es muy simpática.She is my sister Ana. She is very nice.
- Carlos¿Tiene el pelo rubio?Does she have blond hair?
- LucíaNo, tiene el pelo moreno. Es más joven que yo.No, she has dark hair. She is younger than me.
- Carlos¡Es muy guapa!She is very good-looking!
Vocabulary
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- alto
adjectivetall
- bajo
adjectiveshort (height)
- joven
adjectiveyoung
- mayor
adjectiveold, elderly
- guapo
adjectivegood-looking, handsome
- simpático
adjectivenice, friendly
- el pelo
nounhair
- los ojos
nouneyes
- rubio
adjectiveblond
- moreno
adjectivedark-haired, brown
Grammar
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ser (traits) and tener (physical features)
Explanation
To describe what a person IS like, use "ser" + adjective: "Es alto" (he is tall), "Es simpática" (she is nice), "Son jóvenes" (they are young). The adjective agrees in gender and number (like the colour in ch23): alto/alta, simpático/simpática. But for a concrete PHYSICAL feature (hair, eyes), Spanish uses "tener" + article + noun + adjective: "Tiene el pelo rubio" (he has blond hair), "Tiene los ojos azules" (she has blue eyes), "Tengo el pelo moreno" (I have dark hair). English speakers say "he IS blue eyes" and use "ser" — "Es ojos azules" ✗ → "Tiene los ojos azules" ✓. To compare, put "más … que": "Ana es más alta que Luis" (Ana is taller than Luis), "Soy más joven que tú" (I am younger than you).
Examples
- Mi hermano es alto y simpático.My brother is tall and nice.
- Tiene el pelo rubio y los ojos azules.She has blond hair and blue eyes.
- Tengo el pelo moreno.I have dark hair.
- Ana es más alta que Luis.Ana is taller than Luis.
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