Language/Japanese/Vocabulary/Describing-People

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Japanese Vocabulary → Greetings and Introductions → Describing People

As a Japanese language teacher with 20 years of experience, I know that learning how to describe people is crucial in any language. It allows you to express yourself more precisely and efficiently in various situations, from casual conversation to job interviews. In this lesson, you will learn how to describe people's physical appearance, personality, and occupation in Japanese.


Take some time to dive into these other pages after completing this lesson: Metals & Fruits.

Basic Adjectives[edit | edit source]

Before we dive into the specific vocabulary, let's review some basic adjectives that can apply to people.

  • 高い (takai) = tall
  • 低い (hikui) = short
  • 太い (futoi) = fat
  • 細い (hosoi) = thin
  • 親切 (shinsetsu) = kind
  • 性格 (seikaku) = personality
  • 職業 (shokugyō) = occupation

Note that in Japanese, adjectives come before the noun, unlike in English.

Here are some examples:

Japanese Pronunciation English
彼女は背が高いです。 Kanojo wa se ga takai desu. She is tall.
彼は太っています。 Kare wa futotte imasu. He is fat.
彼女は親切な人です。 Kanojo wa shinsetsu na hito desu. She is a kind person.
彼は警察官です。 Kare wa keisatsukan desu. He is a police officer.

Note that 彼 (kare) means "he" and 彼女 (kanojo) means "she."

Physical Appearance[edit | edit source]

Here are some useful words to describe people's physical appearance:

  • 美しい (utsukushii) = beautiful (applies to women)
  • ハンサム (hansamu) = handsome
  • 笑顔 (egao) = smile
  • 白髪 (shiraga) = white hair
  • 眼鏡 (megane) = glasses
  • 顔色 (kaoiro) = complexion
  • 髪 (kami) = hair

Here are some examples:

Japanese Pronunciation English
彼はハンサムです。 Kare wa hansamu desu. He is handsome.
彼女は綺麗な顔をしています。 Kanojo wa kirei na kao o shite imasu. She has a beautiful face.
彼は白髪が多いです。 Kare wa shiraga ga ooi desu. He has a lot of white hair.
彼は眼鏡をかけています。 Kare wa megane o kakete imasu. He is wearing glasses.

Personality[edit | edit source]

Here are some words to describe people's personality:

  • 活発 (kappatsu) = lively
  • 優しい (yasashii) = kind
  • 穏やか (odayaka) = calm
  • 礼儀正しい (reigi tadashii) = polite
  • 真面目 (majime) = serious
  • 恥ずかしがり屋 (hazukashigariya) = shy
  • 面白い (omoshiroi) = interesting, funny
  • 忍耐強い (nintai tsuyoi) = patient

Here are some examples:

Japanese Pronunciation English
彼女は活発な性格です。 Kanojo wa kappatsu na seikaku desu. She has a lively personality.
彼は優しい人です。 Kare wa yasashii hito desu. He is a kind person.
彼は穏やかな人です。 Kare wa odayaka na hito desu. He is a calm person.
彼は礼儀正しい人です。 Kare wa reigi tadashii hito desu. He is a polite person.

Occupation[edit | edit source]

Here are some words to describe people's occupation:

  • 学生 (gakusei) = student
  • 先生 (sensei) = teacher, professor
  • 医者 (isha) = doctor
  • 看護師 (kangoshi) = nurse
  • 秘書 (hisho) = secretary
  • 銀行員 (ginkoin) = banker
  • 接客業 (sekkyakugyo) = hospitality/tourism industry
  • IT関連 (IT kanren) = IT industry

Here are some examples:

Japanese Pronunciation English
私は学生です。 Watashi wa gakusei desu. I am a student.
彼女は看護師です。 Kanojo wa kangoshi desu. She is a nurse.
彼は銀行員です。 Kare wa ginkoin desu. He is a banker.
私はIT関連の仕事をしています。 Watashi wa IT kanren no shigoto o shite imasu. I work in the IT industry.

Conclusion[edit | edit source]

In this lesson, you have learned some basic adjectives and vocabulary for describing people's physical appearance, personality, and occupation in Japanese. Practice using them in sentences and try to incorporate them into your daily conversations. Remember to pay attention to the correct word order and pronunciation. With these words, you can communicate more effectively and make meaningful connections with Japanese speakers.

Sources[edit | edit source]


Excellent job on conquering this lesson! Consider delving into these related pages: Bird & Nationalities.

Table of Contents - Japanese Course - 0 to A1[edit source]


Hiragana Basics


Greetings and Introductions


Geography and History


Adjectives and Adverbs


Family and Social Relations


Religion and Philosophy


Particles and Conjunctions


Travel and Tourism


Education and Science


Prepositions and Interjections


Arts and Media


Politics and Society

Videos[edit | edit source]

Learn the Top Adjectives to Describe People in Japanese - YouTube[edit | edit source]

Adjectives to Describe the Personality in Japanese - YouTube[edit | edit source]

Other Lessons[edit | edit source]


◀️ Introducing Yourself and Others — Previous Lesson Next Lesson — Counting Numbers and Time ▶️

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