Spanish grammar
Ser + adjective
Describe what people look like and what they are like.
From the scene Es alto y simpático (He's tall and nice)
In short
Say what someone is like with ser + adjective: es alto, es simpática. For the negative, say no es.
- tall / short es alto / es bajo
- nice es simpático
- handsome es guapo
- young / old es joven / es mayor
- he isn't nice no es simpático
Your turn
Which one goes with nice?
Options: es alto / es bajo · es guapo · es simpático
Show answer
nice → es simpático
How it works
To say what someone is like — looks or character — use ser + adjective: es alto, es simpático.
Your turn
Pick the word that fits the line.
Sí. (blank) alto, ¿no?
Options: Es · Eres · Soy
Show answer
Sí. Es alto, ¿no?
Yes. He's tall, isn't he?
Good to know
For "isn't", put no before es: no es simpático.
tall / short es alto / es bajo
Elena
Es alto y muy simpático.
He's tall and very nice.
Your turn
What fills the gap?
(blank) y muy simpático.
Options: Es alto · Es simpático · Es guapo
Show answer
Elena
Es alto y muy simpático.
He's tall and very nice.
nice es simpático
Nuria
Uf. Es mayor, es bajo... y no es simpático.
Ugh. He's old, he's short... and he isn't nice.
Your turn
What fills the gap?
Uf. Es mayor, es bajo... y no (blank).
Options: es alto · es guapo · es simpático
Show answer
Nuria
Uf. Es mayor, es bajo... y no es simpático.
Ugh. He's old, he's short... and he isn't nice.
handsome es guapo
Elena
¡Nuria! Es guapo y muy joven.
Nuria! He's handsome and very young.
Your turn
What fills the gap?
¡Nuria! (blank) y muy joven.
Options: Es guapo · Es alto · Es simpático
Show answer
Elena
¡Nuria! Es guapo y muy joven.
Nuria! He's handsome and very young.
young / old es joven / es mayor
Nuria
Uf. Es mayor, es bajo... y no es simpático.
Ugh. He's old, he's short... and he isn't nice.
Your turn
What fills the gap?
Uf. (blank), es bajo... y no es simpático.
Options: Es alto · Es guapo · Es mayor
Show answer
Nuria
Uf. Es mayor, es bajo... y no es simpático.
Ugh. He's old, he's short... and he isn't nice.
he isn't nice no es simpático
Nuria
Uf. Es mayor, es bajo... y no es simpático.
Ugh. He's old, he's short... and he isn't nice.
Your turn
What fills the gap?
Uf. Es mayor, es bajo... y (blank).
Options: es alto · es guapo · no es simpático
Show answer
Nuria
Uf. Es mayor, es bajo... y no es simpático.
Ugh. He's old, he's short... and he isn't nice.
Practise it in the story
Meet this rule inside a short animated scene. Answer as it plays, then say the lines yourself.
Practise free in the appSee all forms
| tall / short | es alto / es bajo |
|---|---|
| nice | es simpático |
| handsome | es guapo |
| young / old | es joven / es mayor |
| he isn't nice | no es simpático |
More lines from the story
- NuriaSí. Es alto, ¿no?Yes. He's tall, isn't he?
- ElenaPara mí, sí.To me, yes.
- Nuria¡Es simpático! Nada más.He's nice! That's all.