Lesson 22 – Describing People
Unit 2: En la Comunidad | Unit Overview | Course Home
Review Flash
(5 minutes — say the Spanish before looking)
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| I like | me gusta |
| I love | me encanta |
| I don’t like | no me gusta |
| do you like? | ¿te/le gusta? |
| I prefer | prefiero |
Lesson Goals
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Describe physical appearance in Spanish
- Describe someone’s personality and character
- Use adjectives correctly with people
- Speak warmly and specifically about people you meet in ministry
New Vocabulary: Physical Appearance
| Spanish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| alto / alta | AL-toh / -tah | tall |
| bajo / baja | BAH-hoh / -hah | short |
| delgado / delgada | del-GAH-doh / -dah | thin |
| gordito / gordita | gor-DEE-toh / -tah | chubby / heavy-set (used affectionately) |
| joven | HOH-vehn | young |
| mayor / viejo | mah-YOR / BYEH-hoh | older / old |
| de mediana edad | middle-aged | |
| el cabello / el pelo | hair | |
| castaño/a | kahs-TAH-nyoh | brown (hair) |
| negro/a | NEH-groh | black (hair) |
| rubio/a | ROO-byoh | blond |
| canoso/a | kah-NOH-soh | gray-haired |
| rizado/a | ree-SAH-doh | curly |
| liso/a | LEE-soh | straight (hair) |
| los ojos | lohs OH-hohs | the eyes |
| la piel | lah pyehl | skin / complexion |
New Vocabulary: Personality and Character
| Spanish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| amable | ah-MAH-bleh | kind / friendly |
| simpático/a | seem-PAH-tee-koh | nice / likeable |
| trabajador/a | trah-bah-hah-DOR | hardworking |
| humilde | oo-MEEL-deh | humble |
| generoso/a | heh-neh-ROH-soh | generous |
| alegre | ah-LEH-greh | cheerful / happy |
| serio/a | SEH-ryoh | serious |
| tímido/a | TEE-mee-doh | shy |
| valiente | vah-LYEHN-teh | brave |
| fiel | fyehl | faithful / loyal |
| sabio/a | SAH-byoh | wise |
| compasivo/a | kohm-pah-SEE-voh | compassionate |
| honesto/a | oh-NES-toh | honest |
| paciente | pah-SYEHN-teh | patient |
Grammar Focus: Ser + Adjectives for Permanent Traits
For describing someone’s inherent character and appearance, use ser:
- El pastor es muy humilde. — The pastor is very humble.
- La pastora es compasiva y trabajadora. — The pastor is compassionate and hardworking.
- Los niños son alegres y curiosos. — The children are cheerful and curious.
Adjectives with people — remember gender agreement:
- Él es generoso. / Ella es generosa.
- Él es fiel. / Ella es fiel. (some adjectives don’t change)
- Ellos son humildes. / Ellas son humildes.
Softening descriptions:
- Es un poco tímido. — He is a little shy.
- Es bastante trabajadora. — She is quite hardworking.
- Es muy, muy amable. — He/she is very, very kind.
Story: Personas Que Cambian Vidas (People Who Change Lives)
Sara escribe en su diario sobre las personas que ha conocido.
“Esta semana conocí a personas increíbles. La pastora Elena es baja pero tiene una presencia enorme. Es muy valiente y sabia. Trabaja más que cualquier persona que yo conozco. Los niños de la escuela dominical son alegres y curiosos — hacen muchas preguntas. Hay un niño que se llama Miguel. Tiene diez años. Es tímido al principio, pero cuando sonríe, todo cambia. Es inteligente y muy fiel en llegar todos los domingos.
El señor Ramón tiene como setenta años, pelo canoso y manos grandes de trabajar toda la vida. Es pobre en lo material, pero es el hombre más generoso y sabio que he conocido. Siempre tiene una palabra de aliento para todos.
Estos no son las personas a quienes vine a servir. Son mis maestros.”
(This week I met incredible people. Pastor Elena is short but has an enormous presence. She is very brave and wise… There is a boy named Miguel. He’s 10. He’s shy at first, but when he smiles, everything changes… Mr. Ramón is about 70, gray hair, and large hands from working his whole life. He is materially poor, but he is the most generous and wise man I have ever met. These are not the people I came to serve. They are my teachers.)
Comprehension Check:
- ¿Cómo es la pastora Elena? (What is Pastor Elena like?)
- ¿Cómo se llama el niño tímido? (What is the shy boy’s name?)
- ¿Cómo describe Sara al señor Ramón? (How does Sara describe Mr. Ramón?)
¡Practícalo! (Speaking Practice)
Describe three people:
- Someone from your church team going on the trip with you
- The pastor or community leader you imagine serving alongside
- A child you imagine meeting on the trip
For each person, give at least three sentences:
- Describe their appearance (Es alto/a, tiene el cabello…)
- Describe their character (Es muy ___ y ___)
- Say something you like about them (Me gusta que es…)
Cultural Note
“Gordito/a” — In much of Latin America, calling someone gordito (a bit chubby) is not rude — it can be affectionate, the way Americans might say “big guy” to a friend. Similarly, negrito or moreno is often used without racial charge in some contexts, as a description or even a term of endearment. This can surprise Americans. Avoid making assumptions about intent based on US cultural norms, and avoid using these terms yourself until you have deep familiarity with local context.
Oración
“El hombre mira lo que está delante de sus ojos, pero el Señor mira el corazón.” (Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.) — 1 Samuel 16:7
Describe what you see. But serve the heart.
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