Describing People and Appearance in Catalan

Overview

Describing people's physical appearance is a practical A2 skill that combines adjective agreement, the ser/estar distinction, and body vocabulary. In Catalan, you use ser for permanent physical characteristics and estar for temporary states or changes in appearance.

The key verbs for descriptions are ser (for inherent traits like height, build, and hair color), tenir (for features you "have" like eyes or hair), and portar (for things you wear like glasses or clothing). Understanding which verb to use with which type of description makes your Catalan sound natural.

This topic provides excellent practice for adjective agreement because you will constantly match adjectives to masculine/feminine and singular/plural nouns.

How It Works

Physical Description Vocabulary

Catalan	English	Example
alt/a	tall	És alta.
baix/a	short (height)	És baixet.
prim/a	thin	És molt prima.
gros/sa	heavy/fat	És una mica gros.
jove	young	És jove.
gran / vell/a	old	És gran.
guapo/a / bonic/a	good-looking	És molt guapa.

Hair and Eyes

Catalan	English
el cabell ros	blond hair
el cabell castany	brown hair
el cabell negre	black hair
el cabell blanc	white/grey hair
el cabell llarg / curt	long / short hair
el cabell arrissat / llis	curly / straight hair
els ulls blaus / verds / marrons	blue / green / brown eyes

Verb Choice

Verb	Use	Example
ser	Permanent traits	És alta i prima.
tenir	Features possessed	Té els ulls verds.
portar	Wearing/carrying	Porta ulleres.
estar	Temporary appearance	Està morena del sol.

Examples in Context

Catalan	English	Note
Té el cabell ros i els ulls blaus.	He/she has blond hair and blue eyes.	tenir for features
És alt i prim.	He is tall and thin.	ser for traits
Porta ulleres.	He/she wears glasses.	portar for accessories
Està molt morena del sol.	She is very tanned from the sun.	estar for temporary
La meva germana és rossa.	My sister is blonde.	Gender agreement
Tenen els ulls marrons.	They have brown eyes.	Plural subject
És una dona jove i alta.	She is a young, tall woman.	Multiple adjectives
Porta una barba llarga.	He has a long beard.	portar for facial hair
Ell és moreno i fort.	He is dark-haired and strong.	Multiple traits
Els meus fills són rossos.	My children are blond.	Plural agreement

Common Mistakes

Using estar for permanent traits

• Wrong: Està alt. (meaning he is tall as a permanent trait)
• Right: És alt.
• Why: Permanent physical characteristics use ser. Estar would imply a temporary change or surprise ("He looks tall today!").

Forgetting agreement with hair descriptions

• Wrong: Té el cabell llargs.
• Right: Té el cabell llarg. (singular) or Té els cabells llargs. (plural)
• Why: "Cabell" is singular when referring to hair in general; the adjective must match.

Using "ser" with "portar"

• Confusion: Describing what someone is wearing with the wrong verb
• Right: Porta ulleres. (not "És ulleres" or "Té ulleres")
• Why: For things worn or carried, Catalan uses "portar" (to carry/wear).

Practice Tips

1. Describe three people you know: a family member, a friend, and a colleague. Use a mix of ser, tenir, and portar for each.
2. Practice adjective agreement by describing both a man and a woman with the same traits: "Ell és alt i ros. Ella és alta i rossa."
3. Look at photos and describe the people you see, focusing on hair, eyes, build, and clothing.

Related Concepts

• Basic Adjectives — agreement rules for descriptive adjectives
• Ser and Estar — choosing the right verb for descriptions
• Colours — colour words used in appearance descriptions