Character and personality
Charakter und Persönlichkeit
- Learn to describe the character of people.
- Talk about personalities.
- The comparative - irregular adjectives
Learn to describe character and personality traits in German using the comparative form of irregular adjectives. Practice everyday dialogues focused on positive and negative traits like "ehrlich" (honest) and "faul" (lazy). Understand differences between English and German comparative structures with useful phrases to express subtle personality comparisons naturally.
Vocabulary (17) Share Copied!
Exercises Share Copied!
These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.
Exercise 1: Reorder sentences
Instruction: Make correct sentences and translate.
Exercise 2: Match a word
Instruction: Match the translations
Exercise 3: Cluster the words
Instruction: Assign the following words to the two categories describing positive or negative character traits.
Positive Charaktereigenschaften
Negative Charaktereigenschaften
Exercise 4: Translate and use in a sentence
Instruction: Pick a word, translated and use the word in a sentence or dialogue.
1
Kennenlernen
To meet
2
Faul
Lazy
3
Unfreundlich
Unfriendly
4
Freundlich
Friendly
5
Jemanden nett finden
To find someone nice
Übung 5: Conversation exercise
Anleitung:
- Describe and compare the people. (Describe and compare the people. )
- Describe your own character. (Describe your own character.)
- Describe your family members and friends. (Describe your family members and friends.)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
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Juliette und Lukas sind ein liebevolles Paar. Juliette and Lukas are an affectionate couple. |
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Raúl ist die verschlossenste Person. Er ist introvertiert. Raúl is the most closed person. He is introverted. |
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Caitlin ist unsportlich; sie ist die am wenigsten aktive Person. Caitlin is not sporty; she is the least active person. |
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Er ist die faulste Person. He is the most lazy person. |
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Ich wirke faul, aber ich bin aktiv. I seem lazy but I am active. |
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Ich kann schüchtern sein, wenn ich die Leute nicht kenne. I can be shy if I do not know the people. |
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Er ist nicht ehrlich. He is not honest. |
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Sie ist sehr freundlich, aber nicht sehr klug. She is very friendly but not very smart. |
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Sie sind intelligente Schüler. They are intelligent students. |
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Sie sind ziemlich dumm, aber wir werden es ihnen nicht sagen. They are rather dumb, but we will not tell them. |
| ... |
Exercise 6: Dialogue Cards
Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.
Exercise 7: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct solution
1. Ich ______ diese Person sehr freundlich und offen.
(I ______ this person very friendly and open.)2. Viele Menschen ______, dass Ehrlichkeit wichtig ist.
(Many people ______ that honesty is important.)3. Ich ______ meinen Freund lustiger als meinen Kollegen.
(I ______ my friend funnier than my colleague.)4. Wir ______, dass die neue Kollegin sehr nett ist.
(We ______ that the new colleague is very nice.)Exercise 8: Character descriptions in the office
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Finden - Find
Präsens
- ich finde
- du findest
- er/sie/es findet
- wir finden
- ihr findet
- sie/Sie finden
Glauben - Believe
Präsens
- ich glaube
- du glaubst
- er/sie/es glaubt
- wir glauben
- ihr glaubt
- sie/Sie glauben
Kennenlernen - Get to know
Präsens
- ich lerne kennen
- du lernst kennen
- er/sie/es lernt kennen
- wir lernen kennen
- ihr lernt kennen
- sie/Sie lernen kennenlernen
Exercise 9: Der Komparativ - unregelmäßige Adjektive
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: The comparative - irregular adjectives
Show translation Show answersälter, härter, jünger, wärmer, höher, besser, dümmer, lieber
Grammar Share Copied!
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Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Finden to find Share Copied!
prasens
| German | English |
|---|---|
| (ich) finde | I find |
| (du) findest | you find |
| (er/sie/es) findet | he/she/it finds |
| (wir) finden | we find |
| (ihr) findet | you find |
| (sie) finden | they find |
Glauben to believe Share Copied!
prasens
| German | English |
|---|---|
| (ich) glaube | I believe |
| (du) glaubst | You believe |
| (er/sie/es) glaubt | he/she/it believes |
| (wir) glauben | we believe |
| (ihr) glaubt | you believe |
| (sie) glauben | they believe |
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Understanding Character and Personality in German
This lesson focuses on expressing and comparing character traits and personality using the comparative form of irregular adjectives in German. You will learn to describe people’s personalities, compare them respectfully, and understand both positive and negative traits through practical examples.
Key Topics Covered
- The Comparative of Irregular Adjectives: Learn adjectives like freundlich (friendly), ehrlich (honest), and their comparative forms such as ehrlicher (more honest), fauler (lazier).
- Character Traits Vocabulary: Distinguish between positive traits (e.g., fleißig – diligent, lustig – funny) and negative traits (e.g., dumm – stupid, faul – lazy).
- Everyday Dialogue Practice: Real-life dialogues set in office and social settings help you describe and compare personalities naturally.
Examples:
- "Ich finde, dass meine Freundin viel netter ist als meine Schwester." (I think my friend is much nicer than my sister.)
- "Peter ist schlauer als sein Bruder." (Peter is smarter than his brother.)
- "Maria ist immer freundlich und sehr ehrlich zu allen Kollegen." (Maria is always friendly and very honest to all colleagues.)
Navigating Differences Between English and German
German uses adjective endings and comparative forms more strictly than English. For example, the English comparative "friendlier" corresponds to "netter" in German, formed by adding "-er" but sometimes involving irregular changes as in "älter" (older). Also, German comparisons frequently use "als" equivalent to English "than" in "größer als" (bigger than).
Helpful phrases include:
Ich finde diese Person sehr freundlich. (I find this person very friendly.)
Sie ist ehrlicher als andere. (She is more honest than others.)
Mein Kollege ist fleißiger als ich. (My colleague is more diligent than I am.)
Summary
This lesson equips you with practical skills to describe character and personality traits using important German grammar and vocabulary. Understanding irregular adjective comparatives will allow you to communicate subtle personality comparisons in everyday contexts, enhancing both your speaking and comprehension.
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