Chapter 9: Appearance (Aussehen)

Introduction

Appearance is one of the first things people notice in social interactions. Describing how people look, including their physical traits, clothing, and style, is essential for everyday conversations in German. Whether you're making introductions, talking about family and friends, or describing people in stories, mastering appearance vocabulary and related grammar helps you communicate clearly and naturally.

Why is this important?

• To describe yourself and others
• To understand descriptions in conversations, books, and media
• To compliment or comment politely
• To give detailed information in various contexts (e.g., at the doctor, police, or social events)

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Vocabulary

German	English	Example Sentence (German)	Example Sentence (English)
das Aussehen	appearance	Ihr Aussehen ist sehr elegant.	Her appearance is very elegant.
groß	tall	Er ist sehr groß.	He is very tall.
klein	short (height)	Sie ist klein, aber kräftig.	She is short but strong.
schlank	slim	Er hat eine schlanke Figur.	He has a slim figure.
dick	fat	Das Kind ist nicht dick.	The child is not fat.
attraktiv	attractive	Sie sieht sehr attraktiv aus.	She looks very attractive.
schön	beautiful/pretty	Das Mädchen ist schön.	The girl is beautiful.
hässlich	ugly	Der Hund sieht hässlich aus.	The dog looks ugly.
blond	blond	Sie hat blonde Haare.	She has blond hair.
braun	brown	Er hat braune Augen.	He has brown eyes.
schwarz	black	Ich habe schwarze Haare.	I have black hair.
grau	gray	Seine Haare sind grau.	His hair is gray.
blau	blue	Sie hat blaue Augen.	She has blue eyes.
grün	green	Er hat grüne Augen.	He has green eyes.
der Bart	beard	Er trägt einen Bart.	He wears a beard.
der Schnurrbart	mustache	Sein Schnurrbart ist dick.	His mustache is thick.
die Brille	glasses	Sie trägt eine Brille.	She wears glasses.
das Haar	hair	Seine Haare sind lang.	His hair is long.
das Gesicht	face	Sie hat ein rundes Gesicht.	She has a round face.
die Haut	skin	Ihre Haut ist sehr hell.	Her skin is very fair.
der Stil	style	Er hat einen modernen Stil.	He has a modern style.
jung	young	Das Baby ist noch jung.	The baby is still young.
alt	old	Meine Großmutter ist alt, aber fit.	My grandmother is old but fit.

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Theory & Grammar

Adjectives and Agreement

Adjectives describing appearance change endings depending on gender, case, and whether they follow an article.

Examples:

• Er ist groß. (He is tall.)
• Sie ist eine schöne Frau. (She is a beautiful woman.)
• Das Kind hat braune Augen. (The child has brown eyes.)

Describing Hair and Eyes

Commonly use haben (to have) + noun:

• Er hat blaue Augen. (He has blue eyes.)
• Sie hat lange Haare. (She has long hair.)

Using "aussehen" (to look/appear)

Used with adjectives to describe appearance:

• Du siehst müde aus. (You look tired.)
• Sie sieht glücklich aus. (She looks happy.)

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Usage & Context

• Introductions: Describing yourself or others when meeting new people.
• Storytelling: Describing characters in books or films.
• Medical or official contexts: Describing a person’s appearance for doctors, police, or in lost person reports.
• Compliments or observations: Talking about someone's style or look politely.

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Practical Examples

Dialogue 1: Describing a friend

Anna: Wie sieht dein Bruder aus?
Tom: Er ist groß und hat braune Haare und grüne Augen.

Dialogue 2: Complimenting appearance

Maria: Du siehst heute sehr schön aus!
Lena: Danke, das ist lieb von dir.

Paragraph example:

Mein Vater hat graue Haare und einen dichten Bart. Er ist mittelgroß und schlank. Seine Augen sind blau, und er trägt oft eine Brille. Er hat einen sportlichen Stil und trägt meistens Jeans und T-Shirts.

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Exercises

1. Fill in the blanks:

1. Er _______ (to have) blaue Augen.
2. Sie _______ (to look) sehr jung aus.
3. Ich habe _______ (black) Haare.
4. Das Mädchen ist _______ (beautiful).
5. Mein Onkel trägt einen _______ (beard).

2. Translate into German:

1. She has long blond hair.
2. He looks tall and strong.
3. I wear glasses.
4. The woman has green eyes.
5. You look happy today.

3. Sentence building:

Using the words, build sentences:

• groß / er / ist
• braune / hat / Augen / sie
• sieht / du / müde / aus
• der / Bart / sein / ist / lang

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Flashcards

Question	Answer
How do you say "appearance" in German?	das Aussehen
Translate "He has green eyes."	Er hat grüne Augen.
What is the German word for "beard"?	der Bart
How do you say "She looks beautiful"?	Sie sieht schön aus.
Translate "I have black hair."	Ich habe schwarze Haare.

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Workbook (Printable Summary)

Key Vocabulary: groß, klein, schlank, dick, attraktiv, schön, hässlich, blond, braun, schwarz, grau, blau, grün, der Bart, der Schnurrbart, die Brille, das Haar, das Gesicht, die Haut, der Stil, jung, alt.

Grammar Points:

• Adjective endings in descriptions
• Using haben for hair and eye descriptions
• Using aussehen + adjective to describe appearance

Practice Tasks:

• Write a paragraph describing yourself or a family member.
• Translate simple sentences about appearance from English to German.
• Practice describing people from photos or videos.

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Multimedia Resources

• YouTube: German Vocabulary – Appearance & Physical Description
• Podcast: "Deutsch – warum nicht?" Episode on describing people
• Website: Goethe Institut – Describing People
• App: Drops (German vocabulary with appearance section)

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Speaking Help

• Practice describing people you meet or see around you.
• Use adjectives with correct endings to improve fluency.
• Role-play situations like introducing family or describing a missing person.
• Practice using aussehen to comment politely on how someone looks.

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Cultural Notes

• Germans often appreciate direct but polite descriptions; avoid exaggeration unless joking.
• Compliments on appearance are usually modest and sincere.
• Style can be an important part of self-expression in Germany, especially in urban areas.

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Review Section

Quiz:

1. How do you say "glasses" in German?
2. What verb do you use to say someone "has" blue eyes?
3. Translate: She looks tired.
4. What is the adjective for "slim"?
5. How do you say "beard" in German?

Key Takeaways:

• Appearance vocabulary helps in daily conversations and descriptions.
• Adjective endings depend on gender and sentence context.
• haben is used for describing hair and eyes, aussehen for appearance.
• Practice makes describing people more natural and fluent.

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