Me, my family and friends in Spanish - EduqasListening - describing personality and character

Learn key vocabulary for talking about your friends and family. Practise your language skills to describe and respond to questions about those close to you.

Part ofSpanishSelf and relationships

Listening practice - describing personality and character

A group of friends taking a selfie.

We also look for different qualities in our friends, so here are some useful words to describe their personality and character:

alegrehappy
amablekind/friendly
amigablefriendly
animado/alively
cariñoso/aaffectionate
comprensivo/aunderstanding
educado/apolite
fuertestrong
generoso/agenerous
gracioso/afunny
hablador/atalkative
honrado/ahonest
lealloyal
simpático/anice, kind
valientebrave
alegre
happy
amable
kind/friendly
amigable
friendly
animado/a
lively
cariñoso/a
affectionate
comprensivo/a
understanding
educado/a
polite
fuerte
strong
generoso/a
generous
gracioso/a
funny
hablador/a
talkative
honrado/a
honest
leal
loyal
simpático/a
nice, kind
valiente
brave

In Spanish, must agree with the people they are describing, which means that they change depending on whether you are you are talking about a boy, a girl or a group of people. Adjectives in Spanish usually follow the patterns in this table to agree with the noun they are describing.

Adjectives ending in:masculine singularfeminine singularmasculine pluralfeminine plural
o/aanimadoanimadaanimadosanimadas
efuertefuertefuertesfuertes
or/orahabladorhabladorahabladoreshabladoras
a consonantlealleallealesleales
Adjectives ending in:o/a
masculine singularanimado
feminine singularanimada
masculine pluralanimados
feminine pluralanimadas
Adjectives ending in:e
masculine singularfuerte
feminine singularfuerte
masculine pluralfuertes
feminine pluralfuertes
Adjectives ending in:or/ora
masculine singularhablador
feminine singularhabladora
masculine pluralhabladores
feminine pluralhabladoras
Adjectives ending in:a consonant
masculine singularleal
feminine singularleal
masculine pluralleales
feminine pluralleales

Listen to Alejandro describing what makes a good friend.

Question

Are the statements true, false or not mentioned?

  1. He helps his friends when they have problems.
  2. They share the same interests.
  3. They tell him the truth.

Now listen to Patricia.

Question

Answer the questions in English.

  1. What does she think is the most important quality of a good friend?
  2. What does she say good friends should not do?

Now listen to Enrique.

Question

What does he think true friends should share? Choose the correct answer.

Athe same tastes
Bthe same values
Cthe same opinions
A
the same tastes
B
the same values
C
the same opinions

There are plenty of other words to describe friends and family, both positive and negative.

antipático/aunpleasant
atrevido/acheeky/daring
callado/aquiet/reserved
celoso/ajealous
egoístaselfish
maleducado/arude
mimado/aspoiled
perezoso/alazy
seguro/a de sí mismo/aself-assured
serio/aserious/responsible
tolerantetolerant
travieso/anaughty/mischievous
antipático/a
unpleasant
atrevido/a
cheeky/daring
callado/a
quiet/reserved
celoso/a
jealous
egoísta
selfish
maleducado/a
rude
mimado/a
spoiled
perezoso/a
lazy
seguro/a de sí mismo/a
self-assured
serio/a
serious/responsible
tolerante
tolerant
travieso/a
naughty/mischievous