ESL How to Describe a Person

It can be challenging to describe a person in a language that is not your own. Where do you start? What are the most important things to point out? What is correct to say? What should you avoid saying? For answers, read on!

First, when you describe a person (or a picture of a person) it is a good idea to have a system in mind so that you will be sure to give your listener a clear mental picture of the person. If you jump around from one point to another, it will be hard for your listener to assemble the pieces of the person in his or her mind.

Here is a description of the picture above.
Follow these steps to give a clear mental picture:

1. Start on the outside. Describe the person in general terms.
"This looks like a small, elderly, Asian man. He looks as if he may be rather poor."

2. Start at the top of the person's head and work your way down for a description.
"He is wearing a battered hat, and his eyes look cheerful. He has a big grin!"

3. Tell a little bit about the person's clothing.
"He is wearing an old-looking, dark jacket."

4. Round it off with a general statement.
"He looks like a happy, kind-hearted sort of man."

We remember a person's appearance because of the things that stand out, so it is good to describe a person's gender, age, size, race, and positive features to help your listener form a mental picture. This can be a little tricky because you don't want to say anything insulting.

For example, the gentleman in the picture might be offended if I described him as being a "little old Chinese man" rather than a "small, elderly Asian man". Why? Because "little" and "old" are slightly negative when describing people, and because there is no way to tell whether the man is Chinese, Korean, Japanese, etc., from the picture.
When you talk about gender, use the terms man or woman for an adult. Use teen or youth with an appropriate personal pronoun for a teenager. Use boy or girl for a child. These are all respectful terms that are unlikely to offend anyone.

Be sure to describe the person's hair. Is it short or long? Is it curly, straight, or wavy? What color is it? Be sure to do your homework about hair colors and types of hair so that you can do a good job describing hair.

In English, when we describe a person's eyes, we don't say the person has "a pair of eyes". That's understood! Nobody wonders how many eyes a person has! We assume each person has a pair!

We just use adjectives (usually positive) to describe the eyes:

She has big, beautiful eyes!...OR...He has dark, intense eyes...OR...Her eyes sparkle with
enthusiasm....

Also, in English we seldom talk about the shape of a person's eyes.When we do, it may mean more than just shape. For example, in English, aperson with "narrow eyes" may be thought of as sneaky or dishonest. A person with "round eyes" may be thought of as surprised.

So it is best just to talk about how a person's eyes twinkle, how beautiful they are and so on. Otherwise, your listener may imagine a very funny person!

When speaking of age, you must also be a bit careful. People don't like to be described as being the wrong age, and sometimes they don't like being described as being the age that they actually are! It is good to choose flattering terms when speaking of age.  Here is a list to help you:


AGES
Baby = Zero - 3
Toddler = 3 - 5
Child = Zero - 12
Teen or Youth = 12 - 19
Young adult = 18 - 27
Adult = 27 - 45
Middle aged = 45 - 60
Mature = 60 - 70 or 75
Elderly = 70 +

Some age groups overlap because both groups could apply to the same person.  Babies and toddlers are also children.  An 18-year-old is a teen and a young adult.  A 70-year-old may be Mature or Elderly.  Be careful when saying someone is "elderly".  Elderly people are usually considered frail and in poor health.  If a person is over 70 but still strong and healthy, it is better to say that person is mature.

It is also important to be diplomatic when you are talking about size! Learning to choose the right terms for size is a matter of fluency. The more you speak English, the more you will know how to choose the right words. Here are a few fairly safe words to use in terms of size:

"Small" is preferable to "Little" except when talking about children and babies. Then you can use "little" or even "tiny". If you are talking about a small, delicate woman or girl, you could use “petite”.
"Full-figured" or "plump" (for women) and "Big" (for men) are preferable to "fat". In fact, you should never say anyone is fat. If a person is of a larger size, it is usually better not to mention it, except when you are taking an exam that tests your ability to describe a person!

For men who are in very good physical condition, you could use "muscular".
For men or women who are in very good physical condition, you can use "slim", "trim" or "fit".

For height, you can always say a person is tall, medium-height/average-height, or short (although some people who are not tall, do not like to be described as short!)

Talking about race and nationality can be very tricky, because it is not always necessary to know what race or nationality a person is. Many people become offended if it seems that you are putting too much importance on their race or nationality. For an oral exam, like the IELTS exam, you should probably describe a person including race (Caucasian, Asian, African, African-American, Hispanic, and so forth). In normal conversation, it is probably best to avoid it unless you are asked.

When describing a person's features, it is best to describe the most positive features. For example, in my description of the "small, elderly, Asian man", I focused on his cheerful eyes and big grin. It was not necessary to mention that he doesn't seem to have any teeth or that his ears are quite big! These things might be considered insulting; even though, they are true! 

Always focus on the positive features. Look for pretty hair, a beautiful smile, a pleasant expression, and so on. The pictures provide more examples.

The woman has short, dark, straight hair a pleasant face. She has a cheerful expression and a happy smile. The man has very short, gray hair cut in a crew-cut style. He is a big man, and he wears glasses. They are both wearing colorful shirts and seem to be enjoying a happy holiday together.

The best way to learn how to describe people is to practice! Look at lots of different pictures of people. Watch lots of movies in English. Live English as much as possible in your everyday life. Understand that the examples I have given are not absolute rules. They are just a starting place. As your vocabulary grows and you become more and more fluent in English, you will make your own word choices and form your own descriptions with greater ease.

Article Contents Copyright: Suzanne Bennett: July 19, 2010

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