When we see a person, the first thing we do, whether consciously or unconsciously, is notice how they look. We may notice their height, whether they are fit or not, their age, and details such as the eye or hair color, or the size of their nose and lips.
These are some of the adjectives in Italian you can use to describe people. This is basic vocabulary that will be of great help so you can have a more fluent conversation in Italian.
If you want to study Italian, but you don’t know where, don’t worry, in Dante In Linea we offer you a complete program.
But how do we describe these physical characteristics to someone who speaks Italian? Today we present a basic and simple list you can use for physical description.
1) Adjectives to physically describe a person
Alto/a = Tall
Basso/a = Short
Magro/a= Thin
Grasso/ a = Fat
Bello/a = Beautiful
Brutto/a = Ugly
Giovane = Young
Vecchio/a = Old
2) Adjectives to describe skin color
Pelle chiara (clear tone)
Pelle scura (dark tone)
Pelle olivastra or mediterranea (for an “olive skin tone”)
3) Adjectives to describe the nose
Storto (crooked)
All’insù (upturned)
A patata (button nose)
Aquilino (aquiline)
Schiacciato (snub nose)
4) Adjectives to describe hair type
Corti = Short
Lunghi = Long
Bianchi / Grigi = White / Gray
Lisci = Smooth
Mossi = Wavy
Ricci = Curly
Biondo/a = Blond
Castani = Chestnut
Neri / Mori = Black
Rossi = Ginger
Calvo = Bald
5) Adjectives to describe eyes
Grandi = Big
Piccoli = Small
Azzurri = Blue
Marroni = Brown
Neri = Black
Verdi = Green
Nocciola = Hazelnut, light brown
Cervoni = Green but with yellow and brown tones
A mandorla = Almond – shaped
Rotondi = Round – shaped
6) Adjectives to describe personality
Sincero/a = Sincere
Allegro/a = Cheerful
Triste = Sad
Invidioso/a = Envious
Geloso/a = Jealous
Generoso/a = Generous
Leale = Loyal
Onesto/a = Honest
Paziente = Patient
Responsabile = Responsible
Riservato/a = Reserved
Affettuoso/ a = Affectionate
Buono/a = Good
Cattivo/a = Bad
Antipatico/a = Unfriendly
Simpatico/a = Friendly – Nice
Altruista = Altruistic
Codardo/a = Coward
Coraggioso/a = Brave
Empatico/a = Empathic
Egoista = Selfish
Gentile = Kind
Bugiardo/a = Liar
Sensibile = Sensitive
Indipendente= Independent
Intelligente = Intelligent – Smart
Ottimista = Optimist
Pessimista = Pessimist
These are some of the adjectives in Italian to describe people. This is basic vocabulary that will be of great help so you can have more fluent conversations in Italian.
If you want to study Italian, but you don’t know where, don’t worry, in Dante in Linea we offer you a complete program.
