Topic: Describing People

Describing Physical Traits

Grasp a range of Italian vocabulary to describe physical characteristics, such as hair and eye colour. For example, “capelli castani” (brown hair) and “occhi azzurri” (blue eyes).
Understand how to correctly use adjectives to describe size and build, like “alto” (tall) and “magro” (thin).
Learn how to apply appropriate adjectives to describe age in Italian, for instance “anziano” (elderly) or “giovane” (young).

Describing Personalities

Learn how to express personality traits using Italian adjectives like “divertente” (funny), “noioso” (boring) or “generoso” (generous).
Familiarise with the usage of adverbs to intensify adjectives, such as “molto” (very) or “abbastanza” (quite).
Explore some idiomatic expressions used in describing personalities, such as “ha un cuore d’oro” (he/she has a heart of gold).

Describing Clothes

Master vocabulary related to clothes, such as “camicia” (shirt), “gonna” (skirt), and “scarpe” (shoes).
Practice using colour indicators to describe clothes, for example “una camicia rossa” (a red shirt).
Understand how to apply adjectives of size, style, and condition to describe clothing in Italian.

Describing Habits and Interests

Be familiar with verbs and phrases used to express habits and regular activities, such as “lui legge molto” (he reads a lot).
Learn to describe someone’s interests and hobbies using phrases like “gli piace nuotare” (he likes swimming) or “adora cucinare” (she loves to cook).

Aspects of Describing Others in Italian Culture

Learn about Italian conventions for describing people respectably and appropriately.
Understand the cultural differences in how Italians might describe physical appearance, compared to British contexts.
Discuss the importance of physical descriptions in Italian literature, films, and social interactions, tracing this importance to Italian cultural norms and art appreciation.

For effective conversations and accurate descriptions in Italian, enrich your knowledge of adjectives, habits, and cultural norms. Use a wide variety of vocabulary and structures to describe people, ultimately enhancing your understanding of Italian language and culture.