Descripción física

[ROBINDESBOIS]

Es alto y moreno = descripción física.
Es simpático y generoso = descripción moral
Me gustaría saber el término en inglés, se puede decir moral description?

[Rusty]

descripción física =
description/appearance

descripción moral =
character/demeanor

[ROBINDESBOIS]

that means that moral rescription doesn´t exist in English? Or it is a bit too formal like in SPANISH

So to say describe somebody physically or describe sb´s appereance, and to describe sb´s demeanor, describe sb what is the adverb???

Another question:
I have heard:
What is he like? for both physical and moral description Is this correct?
ANs what does he look like? for only physical , is this correct too?.

[xchic]

Originally Posted by ROBINDESBOIS

Another question:
I have heard:
What is he like? for both physical and moral description Is this correct?
ANs what does he look like? for only physical , is this correct too?.

Yes, What is he like? for both physical description/appearance & character.

What does he look like? is of course clearer if asking about appearance.

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by xchic

Yes, What is he like? for both physical description/appearance & character.

It could also mean ability, like what is he like at football? or how good is he?

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by ROBINDESBOIS

that means that moral rescription doesn´t exist in English? Or it is a bit too formal like in SPANISH

Well, you can talk about a "moral" description in English. But the "moral" would usually be associated with "ethical". That is slightly different than "character".

I would say that "character" is the broad umbrella, and that "moral/ethical" would be one component of someone's character.

[ROBINDESBOIS]

ok, and how do you use it in context in a question or imperative, describe Peter´s character, other possibilities?

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by ROBINDESBOIS

ok, and how do you use it in context in a question or imperative, describe Peter´s character, other possibilities?

Is Peter an ethical scientist?
What is the nature of Peter's character?

John is a fine man, who lives his life in a very moral manner.
John is an ethical person, given that he is involved in polotics!

[hermit]

To further clarify, might we say that one's demeanor can refer to one's
behavior, attitude, etc. which reveals character?

[irmamar]

Is there any difference between demeanour and behaviour?

[pjt33]

Originally Posted by irmamar

Is there any difference between demeanour and behaviour?

Para mí, "demeanour" connota algo como lo que muestras de las emociones. Según un diccionario online, se trata de comportamiento específicamente hacia las demás personas. La realidad es que no se oye mucho, y tal vez las connotaciones que tiene para mí son extrapolaciones de adivinaciones del contexto.

[CrOtALiTo]

Originally Posted by ROBINDESBOIS

Es alto y moreno = descripción física.
Es simpático y generoso = descripción moral
Me gustaría saber el término en inglés, se puede decir moral description?

In my case my brother taught me that I should describe to a person of the following way.


He's tall, and his eyes are brown clear, and his skins is very white.

Really so this way I can describe to a person in English.

Please I hope that someone can correcting me.
I will be very thankful with the answer.

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by CrOtALiTo

In my case, my brother taught me that I should describe to a person of the following way.


He's tall, and his eyes are light brown clear, and h His skins is very white.

Really so This is one/a/the way I can describe to a person in English.

Please I hope (that) someone can correcting me, please.
I will be very thankful to know if it's correct.

Here's another way to write what you wrote.

In my case, my brother taught me that I should describe a person in the following manner:

He's tall, and his eyes are light brown. His skin is very white.

This is one way (one of the ways) I can describe a person in English.

I hope someone can correct me. I would be very grateful to know if what I've written is correct.

[irmamar]

Originally Posted by pjt33

Para mí, "demeanour" connota algo como lo que muestras de las emociones. Según un diccionario online, se trata de comportamiento específicamente hacia las demás personas. La realidad es que no se oye mucho, y tal vez las connotaciones que tiene para mí son extrapolaciones de adivinaciones del contexto.

OK. Thanks.

[ROBINDESBOIS]

SO, WE SAY:

describe somebody physically or describe X´s character / appereance.
And how do we say describir animicamente ?

[ROBINDESBOIS]

No sweat.

[Awaken]

Originally Posted by ROBINDESBOIS

SO, WE SAY:

describe somebody physically or describe X´s character / appereance.
And how do we say describir animicamente ?

This is a tricky area and the usage of one word or phrase over another I believe is just a matter of choice.

Here are the common phrases you may hear.

"What does he look like?" - The most common way to ask about physical traits.
- Also a more formal version is "Can you describe him physically?"

"What is he like?" - The common way to get a general feel for someone. The person asking the question is leaving it up to the other person to go into as much detail as he/she wants. Usually this a way of asking about his personality. Is he funny? Is he nice? Is he smart? It can include moral and emotional traits as well. Is he dishonest? Is he very emotional? And in certain circumstances such as a women asking her friend about a new boyfriend, it can includes both looks and personality.
- The more formal version "Can you describe him?"

"What is his demeanor?" - While being a synonym for "behavior," it is usually a slightly different meaning in everyday use. A typical response would be "He is easy going." or "He has a very short temper." or "He has a bad attitude towards life." With demeanor, I looking for a trait in a person that leads to certain behaviors. If they have a short temper, it will lead outbursts of anger. You may hear "He has a calm demeanor." or "He has a gentle demeanor." Demeanor is somewhat tricky to describe.

"What is he like emotionally?" - This isn't that common really to hear, but it is how I would ask the question Robin.

Hope this helps some of the Spanish speakers.

[ROBINDESBOIS]

Thank you. What about things? Are both corrects too?
What was the suitcase like ? (at the airport)
What did the suitcase look like?

[Awaken]

Originally Posted by ROBINDESBOIS

Thank you. What about things? Are both corrects too?
What was the suitcase like ? (at the airport)
What did the suitcase look like?

Both are correct, but the response you get may be different.

What was the suitcase like ? (at the airport) - "It was big and red with 4 roller wheels. It was super heavy and full of camera equipment."

What did the suitcase look like? - "It was big and red with 4 roller wheels." (Notice how I left out other details such as what it contained and how it was heavy)

Another example:
"What is a banana like?" - "It is yellow and long with a curved shape. It tastes very mild. As it gets older, the peel turns darker and the banana gets softer on the inside"

"What does a banana look like" - "It is yellow and long with a curved shape"

The first question in these cases lets the responder state what he/she thinks about the item. It almost always will include its physical appearance. The other details are up to the person to provide. Sometimes they may not even give in extra details.

The second question is purely about the looks/physical description, so you only get that as the answer.

[ROBINDESBOIS]

perfect, you're good.