Describing People — Building Blocks

What you will learn

Learn to describe peoples appearance, personality, and characteristics. This lesson covers adjectives for looks and temperament, comparison structures, and how to talk about someone in detail.

Describe physical appearance using common adjectives
Talk about personality traits
Use 又...又... for dual descriptions
Make comparisons with 過 and 最

Dialogue

Conversation

你嗰個新同事點樣㗎？

nei5 go2 go3 san1 tung4 si6 dim2 joeng2 gaa3?

What is your new colleague like?

佢好高，又靚仔又斯文。

keoi5 hou2 gou1, jau6 leng3 zai2 jau6 si1 man4.

Hes very tall, handsome and refined.

幾高呀？高過你？

gei2 gou1 aa3? gou1 gwo3 nei5?

How tall? Taller than you?

梗係啦！佢係我見過最高嘅人。差唔多一米九。

gang2 hai6 laa1! keoi5 hai6 ngo5 gin3 gwo3 zeoi3 gou1 ge3 jan4. caa1 m4 do1 jat1 mai5 gau2.

Of course! Hes the tallest person Ive ever seen. Almost 1.9 meters.

咁佢性格點樣呀？

gam2 keoi5 sing3 gaak3 dim2 joeng2 aa3?

So whats his personality like?

好隨和，成日笑，同邊個都傾到偈。

hou2 ceoi4 wo4, seng4 jat6 siu3, tung4 bin1 go3 dou1 king1 dou2 gai2.

Very easygoing, always smiling, can chat with anyone.

聽落好似好好人喎。

teng1 lok6 hou2 ci5 hou2 hou2 jan4 wo3.

Sounds like a really nice person.

係呀，不過有時做嘢好慢，唔係好心急嗰種。

hai6 aa3, bat1 gwo3 jau5 si4 zou6 je5 hou2 maan6, m4 hai6 hou2 sam1 gap1 go2 zung2.

Yeah, but sometimes he works slowly, hes not the impatient type.

慢慢嚟都好，好過做嘢甩甩漏漏。

maan6 maan2 lai4 dou1 hou2, hou2 gwo3 zou6 je5 lat1 lat1 lau6 lau6.

Taking it slow is fine, better than doing sloppy work.

冇錯！佢做出嚟嘅嘢質素好高㗎。

mou5 co3! keoi5 zou6 ceot1 lai4 ge3 je5 zat1 sou3 hou2 gou1 gaa3.

Exactly! The quality of his work is very high.

Vocabulary

Key Words & Phrases

高

gou1

tall; high

矮

ai2

short (height)

靚仔

leng3 zai2

handsome

靚女

leng3 neoi2

pretty (woman)

斯文

si1 man4

refined; gentle

隨和

ceoi4 wo4

easygoing

心急

sam1 gap1

impatient; anxious

性格

sing3 gaak3

personality; character

質素

zat1 sou3

quality

甩漏

lat1 lau6

sloppy; careless

傾偈

king1 gai2

to chat

梗係

gang2 hai6

of course

Grammar

Language Patterns

又...又... (both...and...)

Use 又 (jau6) before two adjectives to describe someone with both qualities. This structure emphasises that both traits apply equally.

佢又聰明又勤力

keoi5 jau6 cung1 ming4 jau6 kan4 lik6

He/she is both smart and hardworking

嗰間餐廳又平又好食

go2 gaan1 caan1 teng1 jau6 peng4 jau6 hou2 sik6

That restaurant is both cheap and delicious

Adj + 過 + noun (comparisons)

Place 過 (gwo3) after an adjective to compare. The thing being compared to comes after 過. No equivalent of than is needed.

我高過你

ngo5 gou1 gwo3 nei5

I am taller than you

今日凍過尋日

gam1 jat6 dung3 gwo3 cam4 jat6

Today is colder than yesterday

最 + Adj (superlative)

Place 最 (zeoi3) before an adjective to form the superlative (most/best). Often used with 嘅 in noun phrases.

佢係最靚嘅

keoi5 hai6 zeoi3 leng3 ge3

She is the prettiest

邊個最高？

bin1 go3 zeoi3 gou1?

Who is the tallest?

好似 (seems like / looks like)

Use 好似 (hou2 ci5) to express that something seems or appears to be a certain way. Often paired with 喎 at the end for a speculative tone.

佢好似好攰咁

keoi5 hou2 ci5 hou2 gui6 gam2

He/she seems very tired

聽落好似好好玩喎

teng1 lok6 hou2 ci5 hou2 hou2 waan2 wo3

It sounds like its really fun

Practice

Test Your Knowledge

Fill_blank · Question 1

佢___靚___斯文。(both...and...)

Answer

又...又

Translate · Question 2

Translate: He is taller than me.

Answer

佢高過我。

Fill_blank · Question 3

佢係我見過___靚嘅人。(most)

Answer

最

Translate · Question 4

Translate: She seems very easygoing.

Answer

佢好似好隨和。

Choice · Question 5

What does 傾偈 mean?

to chat
to argue
to listen
to eat

Answer

to chat

Finished this lesson?

←

Making Plans

At the Market

→