This deep dive covers Cómo describir una foto — How to Describe a Photo within Photo-card Foundation (TWO photos per card) for GCSE Spanish. Revise Photo-card Foundation (TWO photos per card) in Speaking for GCSE Spanish with 15 exam-style questions and 12 flashcards. Use this page as part of a wider topic revision path rather than treating it as an isolated fact. It is section 2 of 4 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
🔍 Cómo describir una foto — How to Describe a Photo
A strong photo description uses spatial phrases to place things in the scene, then layers in description of people and a personal reaction. The tables below give you the core toolkit.
A — Frases espaciales (Spatial phrases)
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| en la foto hay... | in the photo there is / there are... |
| se puede ver... | you can see... |
| al fondo | in the background |
| a la derecha / a la izquierda | on the right / on the left |
| en primer plano | in the foreground |
| en el centro | in the centre |
B — Describir personas (Describing people)
| Spanish | Usage |
|---|---|
| X lleva... | X is wearing... |
| X tiene el pelo... | X has ... hair |
| X parece... | X seems / X appears... |
| X está + location | X is (located at a place) |
| Hay un / una / unos / unas... | There is / there are... (with gender agreement) |
⭐ The 5-step formula
- Say what / who is in the photo — En la foto hay dos personas.
- Say where things are — Al fondo hay un edificio grande. A la derecha hay un árbol.
- Describe one person in detail — La mujer lleva una camiseta azul y tiene el pelo largo.
- Guess what is happening — Parece que están de vacaciones.
- Give your personal reaction — Creo que es una foto muy interesante porque hay mucha gente.
A 5-step answer earns full communication marks. Each step adds a sentence — four or five sentences is your target.
Practice questions for Photo-card Foundation (TWO photos per card)
Tu profesor(a) te hace preguntas sobre la foto. Prepara respuestas en español.