This week, we will learn adjectives we can use to describe personality. We have new additions to Vocabulary Builder. We have Ben and Joe to help and we have translations into French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and Arabic within the episode and the translation into 62 more languages in the description below. 

Or use this link to see the description in a better format and the full transcript of the episode:

http://perfectenglishwithdanny.com/episode-134-vocabulary-builder-describing-personality-1-4

Our words for today are: 

• unconventional 
• frank
• broad-minded
• enquiring

 

Audio Transcript

Danny

Welcome to another episode from Perfect English with Danny. Today, we will continue with our theme of the week, describing personality. We will have four new adjectives to learn today. The adjectives we are going to learn today are unconventional, frank, broad-minded, and inquiring. We have our friends Joe and Ben to help us out with the words and the translations into 5 languages.  

Let me remind you that you can find the translations for these four adjectives in 62 different languages in the description of the episode, and also don’t forget that at the end of the week, you will have a link that will take you to a webpage with interactive and downloadable activities you can use to practice the 20 words of this week, retain them and add them to your active vocabulary bank.

So let’s get to it. So, Joe, how well do you know today’s words?

Joe

Well, I have to say that I am only familiar with frank, but I am not so sure about the other three.

Danny

Great! That means you have a few words to learn today. Let’s start with unconventional. It is spelled … unconventional. If you describe a person or their attitude or behavior as unconventional, you mean that they do not behave in the same way as most other people in their society. This is a positive adjective.

Joe

How is that positive? You just said that an unconventional person is a person who does strange things.

Danny

Not exactly. I didn’t say strange things. I said this person does things differently. We usually look at unconventional people with admiration because they are not bound by the social norms and rules and they are doing things the way they want rather than the way they are supposed to.

Joe

But some people hate that. So they do not look at unconventional people with any kind of admiration. Some traditional folks think unconventional people are crazy.

Danny

You’re right. It depends on your point of view, but usually when we say unconventional, we mean it in a positive way. So if  you want to talk about someone who is different or who behaves in a different way, you say unconventional if you think it is a positive thing, or if you like it.

Joe

And what if I don’t like it?

Danny

Well, in this case, you should use negative words that have almost the same meaning, but with a negative connotation. You can use words like eccentric, odd, peculiar or weird.

Joe

Ok, it all depends on what I think.

Danny

Of course, almost all the words we have been talking about this week depend on what you think. For example, you may think I am generous, but someone else might think I am not, or even worse; they may think I am mean. It’s all a matter of perspective.  

Joe

Yeah, I see.

Danny

So, our first word is unconventional. Ben, how would you translate that?

Ben

Well, our first word is unconventional

In French, it is peu conventionnel

In Spanish, it is poco convencional

In Italian, it is anticonvenzionale

In Portuguese, it is nao convencional

And in Arabic it is غير تقليدي

Danny

Thank you, Ben. Now let’s move to our second word, frank. You said you knew this word, Joe. What does it mean to you?

Joe

Well, I think I am frank. I always tell the truth. I don’t care if people around will like what I say or not, but I just speak out my mind no matter what. So this is what frank means. Saying whatever comes to your mind as long as it is the truth, even if people don’t like it, or sometimes, even hate it.

Danny

Well, I can say you are exactly like that, but I will have to be honest, you can be blunt, sometimes, not frank.

Joe

Blunt? What does that mean?

Danny

Well, to be frank is to express things in an open and honest way. You do that, and so you are frank, most of the time. I am saying that because frank is definitely a positive character trait, but sometimes, when you say things without caring if you would hurt someone’s feelings, that is not positive, or frank. That is being blunt or abrupt.

Joe

I admit I do that, sometimes, but I didn’t know we cannot say frank about this. I thought frank only describes a person who tells the truth.

Danny

It does, but as I told you, in a positive way, it is frank, but in a negative way, the word is blunt, abrupt or brusque. So you are frank most of the time, but sometimes you can be blunt. You see what I mean.

Joe

Yeah. You’re right. I can be like that, and it is considered rude, isn’t it?

Danny

I’m afraid it is. But my friend, it doesn’t matter; this is who you are. At least, you do not lie like many other people. Sometimes the truth hurts, but better hurt by the truth than healed by a lie.

Joe

Now don’t turn philosophical on me now.

Danny

You see, blunt.

Joe

Yeah. You made your point.

Danny

So, Ben, could you help us please with the translations of frank?

Ben

Sure thing. The second word for today is frank.

In French, it is franc, or franche

Now I will have to say that I usually provide the translation of a word in either feminine or masculine. Like this word here franc is used to describe a man, and franche is used to describe a woman, but I usually pick only one, so forgive me if I exclude feminine or masculine adjectives, I don’t pick which adjective to use on purpose.

Danny

I don’t think that is a problem, Ben because we are not providing translations to teach the other languages. It’s just a tool to help people whose native language is one of those we translate into, so it only matters that they know which word we are talking about. In English it’s different, there is no feminine and masculine for adjectives; it’s the same adjective for both, but in other languages adjectives can be feminine, masculine, singular or plural, but not in English.

Ben

Yeah that’s right. So where was I?

In French, frank becomes franc, or franche

In Spanish, it is franco

In Italian, it is franco

In Portuguese, it is franco

And in Arabic it is صريح

Danny

Thank you very much. Now, let’s move to our third word for today, broad-minded. It is spelled … broad-minded. It is usually spelled as two word joined with a dash, but sometimes you can see it joined as one word. Anyway, what does broad-minded mean? Joe, any guesses?

Joe

Well, I am looking at both words broad and mind. What does it mean to have a broad mind? I think it has something to do with being kind to people, to accept them the way they are, not to judge people, things like that.

Danny

You are very close. By the way, the way Joe thinks about new words is very important for anyone to learn. Break the words into smaller words, or even syllables, sometimes and try to figure out what these components mean together. It helps most of the time, but of course, sometimes, the meaning is different, especially with idiomatic expressions, but the way Joe thinks about new words is very useful to deepen your understanding of the language.

Now back to broad-minded. What Joe said is very close. If you describe someone as broad-minded, you approve of them because they are willing to accept types of behavior which other people consider immoral. For example, we say ‘At 70 she was surprisingly broad-minded. She is always willing to accept other people’s beliefs and ideas.’

Joe

But sometimes people just accept anything, even if that is against their principles, if they have any. I mean it’s good to be open-minded or broad-minded, but it is important to have your own set of values and principles. To have a kind of identity of your own, not to drift around from belief to belief. You know what I mean.

Danny

I agree. To be broad-minded does not mean to accept everything offered to you. You may be offered bad things, ideas, values or ways of life. You cannot accept them all. What if I tell you that I want to rob a bank, and I want you to help me because I consider you as a brother.

Joe

No offence, but I will say to you, ‘go to hell’

Danny

You damn right will. You don’t say yes to everythin