APPEARANCE

AGE

Age categories

baby

toddler – maluch, brzdąc, szkrab

child

teenager

young man / woman

youth – młodzież (męska)

middle-aged: w średnim wieku

elderly = old

Precise ages

She is twenty (years old).

Imprecise ages

He’s in his teens.

She’s in her early / mi- / late twenties.

He’s about thirty. She’s forty something.

He’s fiftyish. She’s sixty odd.

HEIGHT

He’s average height. – przeciętnego wzrostu

She’s above average height. (formal or written)

She’s taller / shorter than average. (informal or spoken)

She’s petite. (girls and women only; it means dainty, short and feminine)

He’s short.

She’s tall(ish) / short(ish). (Suffix  –ish means quite)

BUILD

Women and men

He’s fat / overweight.

She’ slim. (pleasingly thin)

He’s thin. (usually negative)

She’s skinny (too thin)

Women

She’s got a good figure.

She’s plump (pleasantly fat)

Men

He’s got a paunch. (a large, protruding stomach)

He’s stocky. (short and strong)

He’s well-built. (strong, largish but not fat)

HAIR

Length

Long / short

Medium-length / shoulder-length

Colour

black

fair / dark

ginger / red / auburn

grey / going grey

light-brown / medium-brown / dark-brown

mousy

natural / dyed

white

blond / blonde (women)

Type

curly / spiky / straight / wavy

He’s bald / going bald. / He’s got a bald patch.

He’s got a receding hairline (more formal)

His hair’s receding. (less formal)

Style

She’s wearing her hair down / loose / up / in plaits / in a pony tail.

She’s got a fringe / side parting / centre parting.

Order of adjectives

Length + colour + type or (length) + type + colour

COMPLEXION (CERA)

She’s got a fair / dark / olive / pale / tanned complexion.

He’s got a clear / good / spotty complexion.

She’s got freckles / spots.

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES

He’s got a beard / moustache. He’s clean-shaven.

He’s got bushy eyebrows / a scar / a tattoo.

She wears glasses.

PERSONALITY

HIGHBROW – INTELEKTUALISTA

MALICIOUS – ZŁOŚLIWY

DYNAMIC – DYNAMICZNY

FULL OF ENERGY – ENERGICZNY

NON-STOP TALKER – GADUŁA

PHLEGMATIC – FLEGMATYCZNY

INCURABLE OPTIMIST – NIEPOPRAWNY OPTYMISTA

RELIABLE – ODPOWIEDZIALNY

ABSENT-MINDED – ROZTARGNIONY

CAREFREE – BEZTROSKI

CONCEITED – ZAROZUMIAŁY

CHEEKY – BEZCZELNY

COWARDLY – TCHÓRZLIWY

MEAN – SKĄPY

NERVOUS – NERWOWY

SECRETIVE – SKRYTY

SHY – NIEŚMIAŁY

STUBBORN – UPARTY

STUPID – GŁUPI

TACTLESS – NIETAKTOWNY

ACCURATE – DOKŁADNY

AMBITIOUS – AMBITNY

CHEERFUL – RADOSNY

CLEVER – ZDOLNY

COURAGEOUS – ODWAŻNY

DILIGENT – PILNY

FRIENDLY – PRZYJACIELSKI

GENEROUS – WIELKODUSZNY, HOJNY

GENUINE – SZCZERY

GOOD-NATURED – DOBRODUSZNY

HONEST – UCZCIWY

INTELLIGENT – INTELIGENTNY

MODEST – SKROMNY

PATIENT – CIERPLIWY

POLITE – GRZECZNY

TACTFUL – TAKTOWNY

TOLERANT – TOLERANCYJNY

keeping a distance – trzymający na dystans

aloof = reserved

calm – spokojny

energetic – energiczny

brave – waleczny, odważny

wise = smart = clever

hard-working – pracowity

sincere – szczery

gentle – łagodny

sociable – towarzyski

faithful – wierny

truthful – prawdomówny

selfish – samolubny

ambitious – ambitny

easy-going – spokojny, opanowany

loyal – lojalny

helpful – pomocny

joyful – radosny

fair – sprawiedliwy, prawy