Adjectives to Describe People in German

Common Personality Adjectives

Here is a list of essential German adjectives for describing people, along with their English translations:

• faul lazy
• unabhängig independent
• freundlich friendly
• nett nice
• intelligent intelligent
• fleißig hard-working
• doof stupid
• scheu timid
• witzig jokey
• hilfsbereit helpful
• launisch moody
• ehrlich honest
• ernsthaft serious
• frech cheeky
• angeberisch boastful
• empfindlich touchy
• bescheiden modest
• langweilig boring
• lebhaft lively
• selbstsicher self-confident
• klug clever
• neidisch jealous
• gelassen laid-back
• lustig funny
• aufmerksam attentive
• charmant charming
• dynamisch dynamic
• egoistisch selfish
• enthusiastisch enthusiastic
• fleißig diligent
• großzügig generous
• humorvoll humorous
• idealistisch idealistic
• impulsiv impulsive
• inspirierend inspiring
• intensiv intense
• intuitiv intuitive
• jovial jovial
• sportlich sporty
• unabhängig independent
• freundlich friendly
• nett nice
• intelligent intelligent
• fleißig hard-working
• doof stupid
• scheu timid
• witzig jokey
• hilfsbereit helpful
• launisch moody
• ehrlich honest
• ernsthaft serious
• frech cheeky
• angeberisch boastful
• empfindlich touchy
• bescheiden modest
• langweilig boring
• lebhaft lively
• selbstsicher self-confident
• klug clever
• neidisch jealous
• gelassen laid-back
• lustig funny
• gesellig sociable
• eingebildet conceited
• mitfühlend sympathetic
• sympathisch likeable
• kommunikativ communicative
• loyal loyal
• manipulativ manipulative
• melancholisch melancholic
• motiviert motivated
• mysteriös mysterious
• nachdenklich thoughtful
• neugierig curious
• optimistisch optimistic
• pessimistisch pessimistic
• pragmatisch pragmatic
• rational rational
• realistisch realistic
• respektvoll respectful
• sensibel sensitive
• spontan spontaneous
• streng strict
• tolerant tolerant
• traditionell traditional
• verantwortungsvoll responsible
• verlässlich reliable
• vorsichtig cautious
• warmherzig warm-hearted
• wissbegierig inquisitive
• zärtlich tender
• zielstrebig determined
• gesellig sociable
• eingebildet conceited
• mitfühlend sympathetic
• sympathisch likeable

Using Adjectives in Sentences

When using these adjectives, remember to match them with the correct verb. For describing someone’s permanent trait or characteristic, use "sein" (to be):

• "Er ist faul." (He is lazy.)
• "Sie ist sportlich." (She is sporty.)
• "Ich bin unabhängig." (I am independent.)

For describing a temporary state or quality that someone possesses, use "haben" (to have):

• "Er hat ein freundliches Lächeln." (He has a friendly smile.)
• "Sie hat einen netten Charakter." (She has a nice personality.)

Practice Examples

To get comfortable with these adjectives, practice using them in sentences:

• "Mein Freund ist sehr witzig und hilfsbereit." (My friend is very jokey and helpful.)
• "Meine Schwester ist manchmal launisch, aber immer ehrlich." (My sister is sometimes moody, but always honest.)
• "Der neue Kollege ist ziemlich ernsthaft und frech." (The new colleague is quite serious and cheeky.)
• "Ich finde sie sehr sympathisch und mitfühlend." (I find her very likeable and sympathetic.)

Describing Personalities in German: A Beginners Guide

Whether you're enjoying a day at a European café people-watching or describing your family to new German friends, knowing a few personality adjectives can greatly enhance your conversations. Here are some essential descriptive adjectives to help you portray yourself or others more vividly.

Using Personality Adjectives in German

When using personality adjectives with the verb "sein" (to be), no special endings are needed. However, when placing adjectives directly in front of the noun they describe, appropriate endings must be used.

Common Personality Adjectives

German	English	Pronunciation
intelligent	intelligent	in-tell-ee-gent
doof	dumb	dohf
energisch	energetic	in-er-gish
faul	lazy	fowl
ruhig	quiet, calm	roo-ish
freundlich	friendly	froind-lish
zuverlässig	dependable	zu-fair-lay-sish
kreativ	creative	kray-uh-teev
ehrgeizig	ambitious	air-guy-zish
aggressiv	aggressive	ah-gress-eev

Examples in Sentences

• "Er ist intelligent." (He is intelligent.)
• "Sie ist doof." (She is dumb.)
• "Wir sind energisch." (We are energetic.)
• "Ich bin faul." (I am lazy.)
• "Sie ist ruhig." (She is quiet.)
• "Er ist freundlich." (He is friendly.)
• "Du bist zuverlässig." (You are dependable.)
• "Sie sind kreativ." (They are creative.)
• "Er ist ehrgeizig." (He is ambitious.)
• "Sie ist aggressiv." (She is aggressive.)

Using Adjectives Before Nouns

When placing adjectives directly before nouns, they require endings based on the gender, case, and number of the noun. For example:

• "Ein intelligenter Mann." (An intelligent man.)
• "Eine ruhige Frau." (A calm woman.)
• "Ein zuverlässiges Kind." (A dependable child.)

How to describe a person in German

A single word can reveal a lot about a person's personality and behavior. Whether describing a colleague, a loved one, or an acquaintance, using the right adjectives is crucial. Below is a list of 57 German adjectives organized into positive, neutral, negative, and slang categories to help you find the perfect word.

Positive Terms

German	English
Schön, wunderschön	Beautiful
Süß, niedlich	Cute
Freundlich	Friendly
Fleißig	Hardworking
Witzig	Witty, funny
Großzügig	Generous
Klug	Smart
Zuverlässig	Dependable, trustworthy
Kreativ	Creative
Ehrgeizig	Ambitious
Geduldig	Patient
Froh	Happy
Behilflich	Helpful
Aufrichtig	Sincere
Begabt	Talented
Selbstbewusst	Confident

Neutral Adjectives

German	English
Gesprächig	Talkative
Sportlich	Athletic
Schüchtern	Shy
Energisch	Energetic
Ruhig	Quiet, calm
Abenteuerlustig	Adventurous
Abergläubisch	Superstitious
Spontan	Spontaneous
Selbständig	Independent
Exzentrisch	Eccentric
Eigenartig	Unique
Realistisch	Realistic
Introvertiert	Introverted
Extrovertiert	Extroverted
Künstlerisch	Artistic

Negative Descriptions

German	English
Blöd, dumm, doof	Stupid, dumb
Bescheuert, verrückt	Nuts
Sauer	Annoyed
Gierig	Greedy
Gemein	Mean
Deprimiert	Depressed
Eitel	Vain
Faul	Lazy
Aggressiv	Aggressive
Egoistisch	Egotistical
Eifersüchtig	Jealous
Arrogant	Arrogant
Unfreundlich	Unfriendly
Eingebildet	Conceited
Angeberisch	Show-off

Using the Vocabulary

To effectively use these adjectives, practice incorporating them into sentences. For example:

• "Meine Freundin ist sehr witzig." (My friend is very funny.)
• "Er ist ein zuverlässiger Kollege." (He is a dependable colleague.)
• "Sie ist manchmal eifersüchtig." (She is sometimes jealous.)

Describing People in German: Using Haben and Sein

Learning to describe someone's appearance or personality in German involves using key verbs and adjectives. The two main verbs for this purpose are "haben" (to have) and "sein" (to be). It's essential to conjugate these verbs correctly based on who you are describing.

Conjugation of 'Haben' and 'Sein'

Understanding how to conjugate "haben" and "sein" is crucial. Here are the conjugations for both verbs:

Haben	Sein
ich habe - I have	ich bin - I am
du hast - you have	du bist - you are
er/sie/es hat - he/she/it has	er/sie/es ist - he/she/it is

Using 'Mein' and 'Meine'

When describing a friend or family member, use "mein" for males and "meine" for females.

Describing Height

To talk about someone's height, use "sein" (to be):

• "Ich bin groß." (I am tall.)
• "Sie ist klein." (She is short.)

You can add intensifiers for more detail:

• "Ich bin sehr groß." (I am very tall.)
• "Meine Freundin ist ziemlich klein." (My friend is quite short.)

Describing Hair

To describe someone's hair, use "haben" (to have):

• "Ich habe blonde Haare." (I have blonde hair.)
• "Meine Freundin hat schwarze Haare." (My friend has black hair.)
• "Mein Opa hat kurze, graue Haare." (My grandad has short, grey hair.)
• "Sally hat lange, lockige, braune Haare." (Sally has long, curly, brown hair.)

German	English
blonde Haare	blonde hair
braune Haare	brown hair
schwarze Haare	black hair
graue Haare	grey hair
rote Haare	red hair
lange Haare	long hair
kurze Haare	short hair
lockige Haare	curly hair
glatte Haare	straight hair

Describing Eyes

To describe someone's eyes, use "haben" (to have):

• "Ich habe blaue Augen." (I have blue eyes.)
• "Mein Cousin hat braune Augen." (My cousin has brown eyes.)

German	English
blaue Augen	blue eyes
braune Augen	brown eyes
grüne Augen	green eyes
graue Augen	grey eyes