Character and personality
Charakter und Persönlichkeit
- Learn to describe the character of people.
- Talk about personalities.
- The comparative - irregular adjectives
This lesson focuses on the German comparative of irregular adjectives to describe character traits, featuring vocabulary like ehrlich (honest), faul (lazy), and nett (nice), helping you compare personalities with expressions such as "freundlicher als" (friendlier than).
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 describing people's character and personality traits in German, with a special emphasis on using the comparative form of irregular adjectives to compare these traits between individuals. It is designed for A1 level learners who are starting to express opinions and comparisons about personal qualities.
Key Language Points
- Irregular Comparative Adjectives: Learn how to form comparisons such as älter (older), freundlicher (friendlier), ehrlicher (more honest), and lustiger (funnier).
- Character Vocabulary: Explore words that describe positive traits like ehrlich (honest), fleißig (diligent), and freundlich (friendly), as well as some negative traits such as dumm (dumb) and faul (lazy).
Comparing People’s Personalities
Use comparative structures to talk about how one person's character differs from another’s. Examples include:
- "Ich finde, dass meine Freundin viel netter ist als meine Schwester." (I find that my girlfriend is much nicer than my sister.)
- "Peter ist schlauer als sein Bruder, aber er ist manchmal auch fauler." (Peter is smarter than his brother, but sometimes also lazier.)
Practical Application: Dialogue and Description
You will practice describing colleagues, friends, or acquaintances, and compare their personality traits. Sample dialogues demonstrate natural usage, for example:
- "Mein Kollege Tom ist sehr freundlich. Er ist älter als Jens, aber viel aktiver."
- "Sarah ist fleißiger als ihr Bruder und viel netter als letzte Woche."
Important Verbs and Conjugation
Master key verbs in the present tense that help you express opinions and beliefs, such as:
- finden (to find/think): ich finde, du findest, er findet, wir finden, ihr findet, sie finden
- glauben (to believe): ich glaube, du glaubst, er glaubt, wir glauben, ihr glaubt, sie glauben
Useful Vocabulary at a Glance
Positive Traits: ehrlich, fleißig, freundlich, herzlich, lustig, nett
Negative Traits: dumm, faul
Notes on Language Differences
Unlike English, German often uses the definite article when talking about people’s characteristics, but in this lesson, focus is on adjective endings in the comparative. German comparative forms often add -er and sometimes alter the adjective stem (for irregular forms). Phrases like "Ich finde diese Person sehr freundlich" directly translate to "I find this person very friendly," using finden as "to think/consider" in this context, which is a common German expression less frequent in English.
Expressions such as "älter als" (older than) or "nett und hilfsbereit" (nice and helpful) help you make natural and detailed personality descriptions. Remember, comparatives require als after the adjective to express "than," unlike English which uses "than" outside the adjective.
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