rasgos de personalidad
/rasɡos de peɾsonalidad/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'character traits' is translated into Spanish as rasgos de personalidad.
In informal contexts, you might use specific adjectives like majo/a for nice, pillo/a for clever or mandón/ona for bossy.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase rasgos de personalidad literally translates to 'traits of personality'.
Which one should you use?
While rasgos de personalidad is the most common way to say 'character traits', the alternative rasgos de carácter is also used and focuses more on moral or temperamental qualities.
How does it change in a sentence?
To refer to a single character trait, use the singular form rasgo de personalidad.
How do you pronounce it?
/rasɡos de peɾsonalidad/
Did you know?
- While rasgos de personalidad is a neutral term, Spanish speakers often use the phrase tener genio to describe a strong or volatile character. This literally translates to 'having a genius', but refers to a fiery temperament.
- The word personalidad shares its roots with the word for a theatrical 'mask'. It stems from the Latin persōna, which originally referred to the mask worn by actors to convey a character.
- If you want to describe someone as having 'strong character', you say tiene mucho carácter, which often implies they are stubborn or difficult to manage rather than just being a leader.
Examples in context
- Ella es inteligente.She is intelligent.
- Ellos son honestos.They are honest.
- Nosotros somos generosos.We are generous.
- Es una ligona.She's such a flirty person.
- Sus rasgos de personalidad son muy positivos.Her character traits are very positive.
- Es difícil describir sus rasgos de personalidad.It is difficult to describe her character traits.
- Esos rasgos de personalidad son muy positivos.Those character traits are very positive.
- Analizamos los rasgos de personalidad de los personajes.We analyzed the character traits of the characters.
Example conversation
Javier and Elena are discussing a new colleague at work.
- Javier¿Qué piensas de la nueva compañera?What do you think of the new colleague?
- ElenaSus rasgos de personalidad son muy agradables.Her character traits are very pleasant.
- JavierSí, parece una persona muy amable.Yes, she seems like a very kind person.
- ElenaEspero que trabaje bien con nosotros.I hope she works well with us.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, personalidad, CC BY-SA 4.0.
