Have you ever wondered why we say “I’m tall” but “I have green eyes”? Or when to use “llevar” instead of “tener” to describe clothes? In this guide, you will discover how to master the three essential verbs for Spanish physical description and describe people in Spanish with complete naturalness.
You will learn the exact differences between ser tener llevar, when to use each without hesitation, and how to combine them to create natural, fluent descriptions like those of a native Spanish speaker. Plus, you’ll discover the most common mistakes learners make and how to avoid them for good.
Basic Structure of the 3 Verbs to Describe People in Spanish
🎯 SER ( Be) – For Permanent Features
Use: Permanent features, height, general build in Spanish physical description
Structure: PERSON + BEING + ADJECTIVE
Basic examples:
María es alta – Maria is tall
Juan es moreno – Juan is dark
Los niños son pequeños – Children are small
Mi padre es fuerte – My father is strong
👁️ TENER ( Have) – For Body Parts and Their Characteristics
Usage: Eyes, hair, skin, facial features – essential for describing people in Spanish
Structure: PERSON + HAVE + ARTICLE + BODY PART + ADJECTIVE.
Basic examples:
Ana tiene los ojos verdes – Ana has green eyes
Mi hermano tiene el pelo rizado – My brother has curly hair
Ella tiene la piel morena – She has brown skin
Tú tienes las manos grandes – You have big hands
👕LLEVAR ( Wear) – For Apparel, Accessories and Complements
Use: Clothing, jewelry, eyeglasses, make-up in the physical description Spanish
Structure: PERSON + WEAR + ARTICLE + GARMENT/ACCESSORY + (ADJECTIVE).
Basic examples:
Pedro lleva una camisa azul – Pedro is wearing a blue shirt
Mi madre lleva pendientes de oro – My mother wears gold earrings
El profesor lleva gafas – The teacher wears glasses
María lleva el pelo suelto – Maria wears her hair down
Essential Conjugations of SER To (Be) TENER - (To Have) LLEVAR -( To Wear)
🔹 Verb SER - To be - (present tense)
| Person | Conjugation | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Yo |
Soy |
Yo soy alto |
|
Tú |
Eres |
Tú eres rubia |
|
El/ Ella/ Usted |
Es |
Ella es delgada |
|
Nosotros/ Nosotras |
Somos |
Nosotras somos jóvenes |
|
Vosotros/ Vosotras |
Sois |
Vosotros sois fuertes |
|
Ellos/ Ellas/ Ustedes |
Son |
Ellos son guapos |
🔹 Verbo TENER (presente)
| Person | Conjugation | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Yo |
Tengo |
Yo tengo los ojos marrones |
|
Tú |
Tienes |
Tú tienes el pelo largo |
|
El/ Ella/ Usted |
Tiene |
Él tiene la nariz grande |
|
Nosotros/ Nosotras |
Tenemos |
Nosotros tenemos las manos pequeñas |
|
Vosotros/ Vosotras |
Tenéis |
Vosotras tenéis los labios rojos |
|
Ellos/ Ellas/ Ustedes |
Tienen |
Ellas tienen los pies grandes |
🔹 Verbo LLEVAR (presente)
| Person | Conjugation | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Yo |
Llevo |
Yo llevo una chaqueta negra |
|
Tú |
Llevas |
Tú llevas zapatos marrones |
|
El/ Ella/ Usted |
Lleva |
Ella lleva un vestido rojo |
|
Nosotros/ Nosotras |
Llevamos |
Nosotros llevamos camisetas |
|
Vosotros/ Vosotras |
Lleváis |
Vosotros lleváis pantalones |
|
Ellos/ Ellas/ Ustedes |
Llevan |
Ellos llevan corbata |
Cuándo Usar Cada Verbo: La Regla de Oro para la Descripción Física Español
🎨 SER – What you CANNOT change easily
Use it for:
Height: tall, short, medium
General complexion: slim, fat, strong, weak
Apparent age: young, old, elderly
General beauty: handsome, ugly, attractive
Correct examples to describe people in Spanish:
✅ Mi abuela es bajita y delgada – My grandmother is short and thin.
✅ Los jugadores de baloncesto son muy altos – Basketball players are very tall.
✅ Esa actriz es muy guapa – That actress is very beautiful.
👀 TENER ( To have) – Your body parts and their characteristics.
Use it for:
Eyes: color, size, shape
Hair: color, texture, length
Facial features: nose, mouth, ears, cheeks
Other parts: hands, feet, arms, legs
Correct examples in the Spanish physical description:
✅ Mi novio tiene los ojos verdes y grandes – My boyfriend has big green eyes.
✅ Ella tiene el pelo corto y rizado – She has short curly hair.
✅Tú tienes una sonrisa bonita – You have a beautiful smile
Magic formula: TENER + EL/LA/LOS/LAS/LAS + PART OF THE BODY + ADJECTIVE
👗 LLEVAR ( To wear) – What you choose to wear
Use it for:
Clothing: shirt, pants, dress, shoes
Accessories: necklace, bracelet, rings, watch
Glasses and contact lenses
Makeup
Special hairstyles
Correct examples to describe people in Spanish:
✅ Hoy llevo una blusa blanca y jeans – Today I am wearing a white blouse and jeans.
✅ Mi profesora siempre lleva gafas – My teacher always wears glasses.
✅ Para la fiesta llevaré un vestido elegante – For the party I will wear an elegant dress.
Visual Comparison of SER, TENER, LLEVAR : Which One to Use?
| Feature | Verb | Example | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Altura – Height |
SER |
Es alta – It is high |
Permanent feature |
|
Color de ojos – Eye color |
TENER |
Tiene ojos azules – Has blue eyes |
Parte del cuerpo – Body part |
|
Gafas – Glasses |
LLEVAR |
Lleva gafas – Wears glasses |
Accesorio removible – Removable accessory |
|
Juventud – Youth |
SER |
Es joven – Young |
Estado permanente – Permanent status |
|
Pelo – Hair |
TENER |
Tiene pelo rizado – Has curly hair |
Parte del cuerpo – Body part |
|
VESTIDO – Dress |
LLEVAR |
Lleva un vestido rojo – Wearing a red dress |
Prenda de ropa – Garment |
Complete Descriptions: Combining Ser Tener Llevar to Describe People in Spanish
👤 Physical description of Maria in Spanish
“María es una mujer joven y muy guapa. Es alta y delgada. Tiene los ojos marrones y grandes, y tiene el pelo largo y castaño. Hoy lleva una blusa blanca, unos pantalones negros y lleva unos zapatos de tacón. También lleva pendientes de plata y lleva un poco de maquillaje.” (“Maria is a young and very beautiful woman. She is tall and thin. She has big brown eyes, and she has long brown hair. Today she is wearing a white blouse, black pants and is wearing high heels. She is also wearing silver earrings and is wearing some makeup.”)
👨 Carlos’ description
“Carlos es un hombre de mediana edad. Es moreno y bastante fuerte. Tiene los ojos pequeños pero expresivos, y tiene el pelo corto y negro. Tiene una barba corta muy bien cuidada. Para trabajar siempre lleva traje y corbata, y lleva gafas para leer.” (“Carlos is a middle-aged man. He is dark and quite strong. His eyes are small but expressive, and his hair is short and black. He has a well-groomed short beard. For work he always wears a suit and tie, and he wears reading glasses.”)
👶 Description of a child
“Mi sobrino es un niño muy simpático. Es pequeño para su edad pero muy activo. Tiene los ojos azules como su madre y tiene el pelo rubio y rizado. Hoy lleva una camiseta de su equipo favorito y lleva zapatillas deportivas.” (“My nephew is a very nice boy. He is small for his age but very active. He has blue eyes like his mother and has curly blond hair. Today he is wearing a jersey of his favorite team and is wearing sneakers.”)
Practical Tips for Mastering Being Able to Carry on Physical Description Spanish
🧠 Mental Trick #1: The Key Question
Before choosing a verb to describe people in Spanish, ask yourself:
Is it something permanent? → SER – BE
Is it a part of the body? → TENER – HAVE
Is it something that can be removed? → LLEVAR – WEAR
🎯 Mental Trick #2: The Permanence Test
SER : Does not change easily (height, complexion)
TENER : Is part of the person (eyes, hair).
LLEVAR : Can be changed or removed (clothing, accessories)
📝 Practical Daily Exercise for Physical Description English
Look in the mirror every morning
Describe 3 things with SER: SER: “Soy alto, soy moreno, soy joven” – “I am tall, I am dark, I am young”.
Describe 3 things with TENER: “Tengo los ojos marrones, tengo el pelo corto” – “I have brown eyes, I have short hair”.
Describe 3 things with TENER: “Tengo los ojos marrones, tengo el pelo corto” – “I am wearing a shirt, I am wearing a watch, I am wearing shoes”.
Useful Phrases for Real Conversations on Physical Description Spanish
🗣️ Requesting Descriptions
“¿Cómo es tu hermana físicamente?” – “What does your sister look like physically?”
“¿Puedes describir a tu novio?” – “Can you describe your boyfriend?”
“¿Cómo reconozco a tu amigo en el aeropuerto?” – “How do I recognize your friend at the airport?”
“Cuéntame, ¿qué aspecto tiene tu profesora?” – “Tell me, what does your teacher look like?”
“¿Tu hijo se parece a ti?” – “Does your son look like you?”
👥 Describing Relatives using Ser Tener Llevar
“Mi padre es alto y tiene barba gris” – “My father is tall and has a gray beard.”
“Mi madre es delgada y siempre lleva vestidos elegantes” – “My mother is slim and always wears elegant dresses.”
“Mi hermano menor es rubio y tiene los ojos como mi padre” – “My younger brother is blond and has eyes like my father.”
“Mi abuela es bajita pero tiene mucha energía” – “My grandmother is short but has a lot of energy.”
“Mis hijos son muy parecidos, ambos tienen el pelo rizado” – “My children are very similar, they both have curly hair.”
👫 Casual Conversations to Describe People in Spanish
“¡Qué guapa estás hoy! Me gusta como llevas el pelo” – “How beautiful you look today! I like the way you’re wearing your hair.”
“Tu amiga es muy simpática, ¿tiene hermanos?” – “Your friend is very nice, does she have siblings?”
“Ese chico es muy alto, ¿juega baloncesto?” – “That kid is really tall, does he play basketball?”
“La chica que lleva la chaqueta roja es mi prima” – “The girl wearing the red jacket is my cousin.”
❓ Asking for Details
“¿De qué color tiene los ojos?” – “What color are her eyes?”
“¿Es alto o bajo?” – “Is it tall or short?”
“¿Qué lleva puesto normalmente?” – “What do you normally wear?”
“¿Tiene el pelo largo o corto?” – “Do you have long hair or short hair?”
“¿Es mayor o menor que tú?” – “Is he older or younger than you?”
📸 Describing Photos
“En esta foto llevo mi vestido favorito” – “In this photo I’m wearing my favorite dress.”
“Aquí mi padre es más joven y tiene menos canas” – “Here my father is younger and has less gray hair.”
“Mira, en esta imagen estoy con mi hermana, ella es la rubia” – “Look, in this picture I’m with my sister, she’ s the blonde.”
“¿Ves al chico que lleva la camiseta azul? Ese es mi primo” – “See the guy wearing the blue shirt? That ‘s my cousin.”
Exercises: Have you understood Ser Tener Llevar for the Spanish Physical Description?
Now we are going to test what you have understood about these three important verbs with three different exercises that will help you practice and consolidate your knowledge of describing people in Spanish.
Objectives of the exercises
Upon completion of this lesson, students will be able to:
Identify the correct use of each verb according to the context.
To properly conjugate SER, TENER and LLEVAR in present indicative tense
Distinguish the semantic differences between these three verbs.
Correctly apply each verb in real communicative situations
Recognize common errors in the use of these verbs.
Conclusion: Your Transformation in Descriptions
Mastering SER, TENER and LLEVAR is like having the keys to physical description in Spanish. Once you understand when to use each verb, you will be able to describe anyone naturally and fluently, exactly as a native Spanish speaker would.
Remember my experience in Barcelona: a simple verb mistake can completely change the meaning of what you say. But with constant practice and the tricks you have learned here, you will never again have doubts about which one to use.
The difference is in understanding the logic, not in memorizing rules. SER for permanent, TENER for body parts, LLEVAR for removable. With this solid foundation, your descriptions will sound completely natural.
Are you ready to physically describe anyone as a true Spanish speaker?
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