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People love to talk about other people, and gossiping is a great way to get to know someone (as long as it’s not malicious!). By knowing how to use a few basic Portuguese words for talking about personality, you can expand your repertoire of small talk and befriend the people around you. The best way of learning this subject is to practice conversations with a tutor.
In this post, we’ll go through 30 Portuguese words for discussing personality—15 positive and 15 not-so-positive—and look at some ways of putting them into sentences.
Positive Traits
Ambitious
Ambicioso(a)
Amusing
Divertido(a)
Calm
Calmo(a)
Dependable
De confiança
Generous
Generoso(a)
Humble
Humilde
Honest
Honesto(a)
Intelligent
Inteligente
Likable
Agradável
Loyal
Leal
Optimistic
Otimista
Respectable
Respeitoso(a)
Trustworthy
Confiável
Understanding
Compreensivo(a)
Wise
Sábio(a)
Negative Traits
Annoying
Irritante
Arrogant
Arrogante
Boring/tedious/annoying
Chato(a)
Bossy
Mandão
Cowardly
Covarde
Cruel
Cruel
Frivolous
Frívolo(a)
Insecure
Inseguro(a)
Lazy
Preguiçoso(a)
Pretentious
Pretensioso(a)
Rude
Grosseiro(a)
Spiteful
Malvado(a)
Stubborn
Teimoso(a)
Unpredictable
Imprevisível
Vain
Vaidoso(a)
Putting It into Practice
Now, let’s take a look at how some of the Portuguese words above can be used in sentences, using different tenses and constructions.
I like her because she’s honest.
Eu gosto dela porque ela é honesta.
I don’t like him because he’s arrogant.
Eu não gosto dele porque ele é arrogante.
He’s so spiteful.
Ele é tão malvado.
She’s so boring.
Ela é tão chata.
I like him, but he can be pretentious.
Eu gosto dele, mas ele pode ser pretensioso.
She’s a reliable person.
Ela é uma pessoa de confiança.
That man is very bossy.
Aquele homem é muito mandão.
That woman is so optimistic.
Aquela mulher é tão otimista.
She used to be very calm, but not anymore.
Ela era muito calma, mas hoje não mais.
I would like him, but he’s too frivolous.
Eu iria gostar dele, mas ele é muito frívolo.
Keep Learning
There are many more Portuguese words for discussing personality that you can learn, and the example sentences above are just a starting point. If you want to learn more vocabulary in this area, and enhance your general Portuguese skills, book a tutor today.