Adjectives That Describe Personality in Spanish: Your Guide to Using Them Naturally

If you’ve landed on this article it means that you agree with us that describing someone’s personality is a quite an important aspect of any language, including Spanish.

Are you complimenting a friend? You definitely don’t want to use cobarde (cowardly)... unless you’re “gossiping” about your ex with your friend!

Applying for a new job? You might need to describe yourself as creativo (creative) to land your dream job!

Knowing the right adjectives to describe personality makes conversations far more interesting, but knowing them requires more than just memorising lists—you must also understand how they fit into everyday conversation.

And we’ve got your back covered 🙂, as we'll look at positive, negative, and neutral personality adjectives in Spanish, all of these coming in context. By reading the examples provided, you’ll see how adjectives such as valiente (brave), egoísta (selfish), and paciente (patient) are used, so to grasp and reuse them naturally in your own conversations.

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The Most Common Personality Adjectives in Spanish: Positive, Negative, and Neutral Traits

Understanding how to describe personality traits in Spanish goes beyond just learning the words. It’s about seeing how these adjectives come to life in real situations.

We all know that the best thing would be practicing Spanish on a daily basis but, if you can’t live in a Spanish-speaking country, don’t worry—you can still get a feel for it by watching Spanish films, TV series or Vlogs, or even listening to songs. These give you a natural and engaging way to grasp how native speakers use adjectives to describe someone’s strengths, creativity, flaws, and weaknesses.

They provide clear, memorable, and practical examples of how these traits are expressed in everyday Spanish. And if you still have doubts, don’t be afraid of using the comment section!

To help you get started, here’s a handy list of personality adjectives—positive, negative, and neutral—along with examples to see how they work in context.

Positive Personality Adjectives

Negative Personality Adjectives

Neutral Personality Adjectives

Verbs Commonly Used with Personality Adjectives in Spanish

When describing personality traits in Spanish, it's not just about choosing the right adjective, you also need to pair it with the right verb. Some verbs, like ser, indicate permanent traits, while others, like estar and poner(se), reflect temporary moods or sudden changes. Here’s a guide to help you use personality adjectives naturally in context:

1. Ser (to be)

Ser is one of the most essential verbs when it comes to describing personality traits. It’s used to talk about permanent or long-lasting characteristics, that is to say traits that define someone on a deeper level.

Example:

• Ella es muy simpática.
  (She is very nice.)

Why it's important: Think of ser as the go-to verb when you want to describe who someone is at their core. It’s crucial to differentiate ser from estar because while ser is used for permanent traits, estar deals with temporary states or moods.

2. Estar (to be)

On the other hand, estar is used for temporary conditions, moods, or states of being. It works well for describing how someone feels at a particular moment, rather than their enduring characteristics.

Example:

• Hoy estás muy serio.
  (Today you are very serious.)

Why it's important: Understanding when to use estar versus ser is key for fluency in Spanish. Using estar with personality adjectives tells the listener that this is a temporary state—something that could change soon.

3. Parecer (to seem/appear)

Parecer is another useful verb when describing someone’s personality. It’s used when you’re expressing how someone seems based on first impressions or incomplete information.

Example:

• Parece muy curioso.
  (He seems very curious.)

Why it's important: Parecer allows you to describe what you think about someone at the moment, without claiming it as a permanent trait.

4. Mostrar(se) (to show, to present oneself)

Mostrar(se) is used to talk about how someone presents or reveals their personality outwardly. It’s often used to describe how someone behaves in public or specific situations.

Example:

• Se muestra reservado en público.
  (He shows (himselves as) reserved in public.)

Why it's important: Mostrar(se) lets you describe someone’s behavior rather than who they are at their core, emphasizing outward expressions of personality.

5. Volver (to become)

Volver is used to describe a gradual or more permanent change in someone’s personality. It suggests that over time, the person has developed or transformed into having a particular trait.

Example:

• Con el tiempo, se volvió muy egoísta.
  (Over time, he/she became very selfish.)

Why it's important: Volver helps convey long-term changes in personality, unlike verbs like ponerse, which imply a quicker or temporary shift. When you use volver, you're talking about someone becoming a certain way for good (or at least for a long time).

6. Poner(se) (to become, to get)

Poner(se) describes sudden, short-term changes in mood or emotional state. It’s commonly used when someone experiences a quick emotional reaction or change in personality.

Example:

• Se puso nervioso durante la entrevista.
  (He got nervous during the interview.)

Why it's important: Poner(se) implies a temporary change, often emotional. It’s important to distinguish between poner(se) (short-term changes) and volver (long-term or permanent changes). This subtlety helps convey exactly what kind of transformation you're talking about.

Common Mistakes with Personality Adjectives

There are some frequent pitfalls that Spanish learners may run into even if they have a strong range of personality adjectives. Relax, these are simple to resolve once you recognise them!

Below are some of the most frequent mistakes students make when using adjectives that describe personality in Spanish, and tips on how to avoid them.

1. Mixing Up Gender

In Spanish, adjectives must agree with the gender of the noun they describe and this is one of the most common challenges for those students whose mother tongue does not include such a clear difference, especially when the adjective looks similar for both genders. For example:

• Wrong: Mi hermano es simpática. ❌
• Correct: Mi hermano es simpático.✅

Tip: Always check whether the person you’re describing is male or female, and adjust the adjective accordingly (e.g., simpático for males and simpática for females).

2. Forgetting to Adjust for Plural Forms

Adjectives in Spanish must also match the number of the noun. If you’re describing more than one person, the adjective has to be in its plural form:

• Wrong: Mis amigos son simpático. ❌
• Correct: Mis amigos son simpáticos.✅

Tip: For plural nouns, just add an "s" or "es" to the adjective (e.g., simpáticos, amables).

3. Using the Wrong Adjective for Mixed Groups

When describing a group that includes both males and females, learners sometimes struggle with which form of the adjective to use. In Spanish, when there’s a mix, you default to the masculine plural:

• Wrong: Mis amigos son simpáticas. ❌
• Correct: Mis amigos son simpáticos. (even if there are women in the group) ✅

4. Overusing “Muy” for Intensity

Another mistake is relying too much on muy to intensify adjectives. While muy is perfectly fine, native speakers often use alternatives for more variety:

• Overused: Ella es muy simpática. ❗
• Alternative: Ella es sumamente simpática. (She is extremely nice) ✅

Tip: Try mixing in words like sumamente (extremely) or bastante (quite) to sound more natural.

5. Not Matching the Adjective to Formality

Some adjectives can change in tone depending on the formality of the conversation. For instance, using simpático in an informal setting is fine, but in a more professional or formal context, you might choose agradable instead:

• Informal: Mi jefe es muy simpático. ❌
• Formal: Mi jefe es muy agradable. ✅

Tip: Pay attention to who you’re speaking with and the context to select the right adjective.

Wrapping It Up: Time to Get Valiente with Your Spanish!

As personality is not just a label, personality adjectives are more than just new words to your vocabulary, they actually help you describe the people in your life in ways that feel real and meaningful. Imagine them as colours you need to paint a clearer picture of who they really are.

Now, it’s your turn! Try using these adjectives in your own daily chats, as you describe a friend, a family member, or even yourself. Or, get creative and write down a few sentences to practice.

The more you use them, the more naturally they’ll roll off your tongue.

And who knows? You might just surprise yourself with how fluent you sound!

Author:

Fabia Parodi  

Fascinated by foreign languages and cultures, Fabia Parodi was determined to be a polyglot since she was a child. Fluent in Italian, English, French and Spanish and competent in Mandarin Chinese, Fabia is an experienced language teacher, translator and multicultural marketing specialist. 

When in class, she always make sure to include graded and authentic materials in her lessons to expose students to foreign cultures and to introduce a more natural use of the language they are learning. The two things she loves more than languages are travelling and exchanging stories with people from all over the world.