German Describing Personality Vocabulary
This set covers the words Germans reach for when describing what someone is like: temperament words like streng and eigenwillig, judgment words like merkwürdig and seltsam, and nouns like die Eigenart and die Angewohnheit for the small habits that make a person who they are. Watch out for die Abwehrhaltung: it looks abstract on paper but it's the everyday word for someone getting "defensive" in an argument, not a military term. Also note that German splits "strange" into at least three words here (merkwürdig, seltsam, eigenwillig), each with a slightly different flavor of odd.
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All 55 words
- strengA2
strict; stern
Der Lehrer von meiner Tochter ist sehr streng. — My daughter's teacher is very strict.
- typischA2
typical
Diese Musik ist typisch für dieses Land. — This music is typical for this country.
strange, odd
Das ist eine merkwürdige Geschichte. — That is a strange story.
- negativB1
negative
Du solltest nicht alles negativ sehen. — You shouldn't see everything negatively.
tidy, neat
Mein Bruder ist ein sehr ordentlicher Mensch. — My brother is a very tidy person.
- passivB1
passive
Man sollte im Kurs nicht passiv sein, sondern mitdiskutieren. — You shouldn't be passive in the course, but rather participate in discussions.
- perfektB1
perfect
Die Reiseorganisation war perfekt. — The travel organization was perfect.
- populärB1
popular
Diese Musik ist bei Jugendlichen populär. — This music is popular with young people.
- positivB1
positive
Wir haben eine positive Nachricht für Sie. Sie bekommen die Stelle. — We have positive news for you. You're getting the job.
- primaB1
excellent
Mit diesen Leuten verstehe ich mich prima. — I get along excellently with these people.
realistic
Ich glaube nicht, dass du für das Auto noch so viel Geld bekommst. Das ist nicht realistisch. — I don't think you'll get that much money for the car. That's not realistic.
- seltsamB1
strange
Es ist seltsam, dass mein Bruder noch nicht hier ist. — It's strange that my brother isn't here yet.
- sparsamB1
thrifty, economical
Wir haben fünf Kinder. Wir müssen sehr sparsam sein. — We have five children. We must be very thrifty.
plural: die Verhaltensweisen
behavior, conduct
Ich bewundere dein Verhalten in der schwierigen Situation. — I admire your behavior in the difficult situation.
superstitious
Sie ist abergläubig und trägt eine Glücksmünze. — She is superstitious and carries a lucky coin.
plural: die Abwehrhaltungen
defensiveness
Seine Abwehrhaltung machte ein Gespräch unmöglich. — His defensiveness made a conversation impossible.
plural: die Angewohnheiten
habit
Rauchen ist eine schlechte Angewohnheit. — Smoking is a bad habit.
distinctive / pronounced / particular
Seine ausgeprägte Persönlichkeit fiel sofort auf. — His distinctive personality stood out immediately.
plural: die Charaktere
character
Der Charakter eines Menschen zeigt sich in der Krise. — A person's character shows itself in crisis.
plural: die Eigenarten
peculiarity / characteristic / quirk
Seine Eigenart war, immer Witze zu machen. — His peculiarity was always making jokes.
idiosyncratic / headstrong / outlandish
Ihre eigenwillige Art gefiel nicht jedem. — Her idiosyncratic manner was not liked by everyone.
eccentric
Sein exzentrischer Stil fiel jedem auf. — His eccentric style stood out to everyone.
- finsterB2
frowning / glowering / dark / grim
Mit finsterem Blick verfolgte er das Gespräch. — With a dark gaze, he followed the conversation.
weighty / heavy
Seine gewichtige Meinung wurde von allen respektiert. — His weighty opinion was respected by all.
mildness / gentleness / blandness / mellowness
Die Milde seines Charakters machte ihn beliebt. — The gentleness of his character made him popular.
plural: die Persönlichkeiten
personality
Seine Persönlichkeit ist sehr charismatisch. — His personality is very charismatic.
plural: die Tausendsässer
jack of all trades
Er ist ein wahrer Tausendsassa mit vielen Talenten. — He is a true jack of all trades with many talents.
to embody / epitomize
Diese Figur verkörpert alle Tugenden der Antike. — This figure epitomizes all the virtues of antiquity.
- altklugC1
precocious(ly) = having developed certain abilities or proclivities at an earlier age than usual
Das Kind wirkt altklug für sein Alter. — The child seems precocious for his age.
suggestive / lewd
Seine anzüglichen Bemerkungen waren völlig unangebracht. — His suggestive remarks were completely inappropriate.
plural: die Betriebsamkeiten
an active nature / activity
Seine Betriebsamkeit war bemerkenswert und ansteckend. — His active nature was remarkable and contagious.
plural: die Externalisierungen
externalization
Die Externalisierung von Gefühlen hilft manchen Menschen. — The externalization of feelings helps some people.
extroversion
Seine Extrovertiertheit macht ihn zum perfekten Gastgeber. — His extroversion makes him the perfect host.
threadbare / specious / worn out
Seine Ausrede wirkte fadenscheinig und überzeugend kaum jemanden. — His excuse seemed specious and convinced hardly anyone.
plural: die Faibles
a penchant / liking / weakness penchant = a strong or habitual liking for something or tendency to do something.
Er hat ein Faible für alte Jazzmusik. — He has a penchant for old jazz music.
fine / subtle
Sie hat einen feinsinnigen Geschmack in der Kunst. — She has a subtle taste in art.
- forschC1
brisk / rigorous / dashing
Sie ging mit forschem Schritt in den Raum. — She walked into the room with a brisk stride.
behavior / conduct (wenig benutzt)
Sein unverschämtes Gebaren verletzte viele Menschen. — His shameless conduct hurt many people.
- gefügigC1
submissive / obedient
Die gefügige Haltung der Angestellten war problematisch. — The submissive attitude of the employees was problematic.
plural: die Genialitäten
ingeniousness / genius
Die Genialität des Komponisten wird von allen anerkannt. — The genius of the composer is recognized by everyone.
unity / cohesion
Die Geschlossenheit der Gruppe war beeindruckend. — The unity of the group was impressive.
smoothness / suppleness
Die Geschmeidigkeit ihrer Bewegungen war bewundernswert. — The suppleness of her movements was admirable.
plural: die Gesinnungen
an attitude / ethos / way of thinking
Seine konservative Gesinnung prägt sein ganzes Leben. — His conservative attitude shapes his entire life.
- gestelztC1
stilted
Seine gestelzte Ausdrucksweise wirkte künstlich. — His stilted manner of expression seemed artificial.
nimbleness / deftness
Die Gewandtheit des Tänzers war beeindruckend. — The nimbleness of the dancer was impressive.
brilliant / sparkling / glittering
Der glanzvolle Auftritt begeisterte das Publikum. — The brilliant performance delighted the audience.
plural: der Habitus
habitus / disposition
Ihr ruhiger Habitus beeindruckte die Jury. — Her calm disposition impressed the jury.
- laschC1
lax / feeble / limp (wenig benutzt)
Seine lasche Einstellung zum Lernen war unproduktiv. — His lax attitude toward learning was unproductive.
plural: die Mäkel
a blemish / taint / defect
Ein kleiner Makel in seinem Charakter war seine Ungeduld. — A small blemish in his character was his impatience.
plural: die Marrotten
a quirk
Seine Marotte war, immer den gleichen Weg zu gehen. — His quirk was always taking the same route.
plural: die Müßiggänger
an idler
Der faule Müßiggänger tat den ganzen Tag nichts. — The lazy idler did nothing all day.
plumpness / clumsiness / crassness
Seine Plumpheit der Ausdrucksweise war oft unpassend. — His crassness of expression was often inappropriate.
plural: die Querulanten
grumbler / querelous person
Der ständig beschwerdende Querulant nervt alle im Büro. — The constantly complaining grumbler annoys everyone at the office.
- sonorC1
sonorous / vibrant
Seine sonore Stimme füllte den Saal. — His sonorous voice filled the hall.
plural: die Veranlagungen
predisposition / disposition / nature
Seine Veranlagung war musikalisch. — His disposition was musical.
How to learn this set
Group merkwürdig, seltsam, and eigenwillig together and translate them all as "strange" first, then sort out the difference: seltsam leans toward puzzling or uncanny, merkwürdig toward noteworthy-odd, and eigenwillig toward stubbornly individual rather than wrong. For the nouns, notice that die Eigenart and die Angewohnheit both build on the idea of "own" (eigen, an-gewöhnen) - a person's Eigenart is a trait they were basically born with, while an Angewohnheit is something they picked up, so drill them as a pair rather than in isolation. Almost all the adjectives here (streng, ordentlich, sparsam, gewichtig) can describe both people and unrelated nouns like a Diktat or ein Anzug, so when you meet a new one, immediately test it in a second context to see how far its meaning stretches. For gewichtig and finster, learn the literal meaning first (heavy, dark) before the personality sense, since the personality use is a metaphor built directly on it.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between merkwürdig and seltsam?
Both mean 'strange,' but merkwürdig often carries a sense of 'worth noting' or mildly puzzling, while seltsam leans more toward eerie or hard to explain. In casual speech they overlap a lot and native speakers use them interchangeably most of the time.
Is die Abwehrhaltung a common word?
Yes, it's the standard word for defensiveness, as in someone reacting defensively to criticism. You'll hear it in psychology contexts and everyday arguments alike, e.g. 'in eine Abwehrhaltung gehen' (to become defensive).
What's the difference between die Eigenart and die Angewohnheit?
Die Eigenart is a quirk or peculiarity that feels part of someone's core character, while die Angewohnheit is a habit they've developed, good or bad. A person's Eigenart might be a strange sense of humor; their Angewohnheit might be biting their nails.
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