Describing people uses the adjectives you already know, plus a few special structures for hair and eyes. Remember that adjectives follow the noun and agree in gender: رجل طويل (a tall man) but امرأة طويلة (a tall woman).
Physical appearance
| Arabic | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| طويل | ṭaweel | tall |
| قصير | qaṣeer | short |
| نحيف | naḥeef | thin |
| سمين | sameen | overweight |
| شاب | shaab | young man |
| عجوز | 3ajooz | old (person) |
| جميل | jameel | handsome / beautiful |
| وسيم | waseem | handsome (man) |
Hair and eyes
| Arabic | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| شعره أسود | sha3ruhu aswad | his hair is black |
| شعرها طويل | sha3ruhaa ṭaweel | her hair is long |
| عيونه زرقاء | 3uyoonuhu zarqaa’ | his eyes are blue |
| عيونها بنية | 3uyoonuhaa bunniyya | her eyes are brown |
| لديه لحية | ladayhi liḥya | he has a beard |
| يلبس نظارات | yalbas naẓẓaaraat | he wears glasses |
Personality
| Arabic | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| طيب | ṭayyib | kind |
| ذكي | dhakee | smart |
| لطيف | laṭeef | nice |
| مضحك | muḍḥik | funny |
| هادئ | haadi’ | calm |
| نشيط | nasheeṭ | active |
| كريم | kareem | generous |
| صادق | ṣaadiq | honest |
| خجول | khajool | shy |
| اجتماعي | ijtima3ee | sociable |
Describing people in sentences
| Arabic | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| صديقي طويل وذكي | ṣadeeqee ṭaweel wa dhakee | my friend is tall and smart |
| هي لطيفة جدا | hiya laṭeefa jiddan | she is very nice |
| أخي مضحك | akhee muḍḥik | my brother is funny |
| جدتي كريمة | jaddatee kareema | my grandmother is generous |
| هذا الرجل طيب | haadha ar-rajul ṭayyib | this man is kind |
| هو شاب نشيط | huwa shaab nasheeṭ | he is an active young man |
Dialogue: Describing a friend
Talking about a new friend
- Akayfa ṣadeequk al-jadeed?How is your new friend?
- Bhuwa ṭaweel wa dhakeeHe is tall and smart
- Amaa lawn sha3rih?What color is his hair?
- Bsha3ruhu aswad wa 3uyoonuhu bunniyyaHis hair is black and his eyes are brown
- Ahal huwa muḍḥik?Is he funny?
- Bna3am, huwa muḍḥik wa laṭeef jiddanYes, he is funny and very nice
- Ayabdoo shakhṣan raa'i3anHe seems like a great person
Practice
How do you say 'tall' in Arabic?
hint: It is the opposite of 'قصير' (short)
What does 'ذكي' mean?
hint: It describes a clever person
How do you say 'his hair is black' in Arabic?
hint: Attach 'ه' to 'شعر' for 'his hair'
Match each pair — start with Arabic (left)
0 / 8Arabic
English
← Select an Arabic word, then tap its meaning →
Want more describing words? See common Arabic adjectives.
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