Personal is an adjective meaning belonging to or affecting a particular person; private and not shared with others; or done or made by the individual in person rather than through a representative.
What Does Personal Mean?
Personal comes from Latin personalis, itself derived from persona — originally the mask worn by a Roman actor, and later the character behind the mask, and finally the individual person. The word entered Middle English via Old French personel in the 14th century. This etymology neatly explains the core meaning: personal points to the individual, the specific human being, rather than to an organisation, a group, or an abstract idea.
In everyday English, personal has three overlapping senses. First, it describes things that belong to or directly concern one individual: personal belongings, personal opinion. Second, it signals that something is private and not intended to be shared: a personal matter, personal information. Third, it means done or delivered by the person themselves rather than by an agent: a personal visit, a personal apology.
Because all three senses are extremely common in academic writing, professional English, and everyday conversation, personal is a high-frequency word that ESL learners at A2 level begin to encounter and continue using well into advanced study. Learning its most productive collocations — personal development, personal statement, personal best — will immediately improve both your writing and speaking.
Example Sentences
| Sentence | Level & note |
|---|---|
| She keeps a personal vocabulary notebook with example sentences. | A2 — personal as attributive adjective |
| Please do not share my personal information with anyone. | B1 — personal information, a fixed collocation |
| The manager made a personal visit to each member of the team. | B1 — personal = done in person |
| In my personal opinion, the proposal needs further research before it is approved. | B2 — distancing phrase in academic writing |
| The author's experiences lend the novel an intensely personal quality that makes it difficult to read as pure fiction. | C1 — predicative use in literary analysis |
Collocations
| Collocation | Example |
|---|---|
| personal opinion | In my personal opinion, the course is excellent. |
| personal space | Please respect other people's personal space on public transport. |
| personal trainer | She hired a personal trainer to help her prepare for the marathon. |
| personal statement | Your personal statement should explain why you want to study this subject. |
| personal development | The company offers workshops for personal development and career growth. |
| personal information | Never give out personal information on an unsecured website. |
| personal best | She ran the 5 km race in a personal best of 22 minutes. |
| personal assistant | His personal assistant manages his diary and correspondence. |
| personal hygiene | Good personal hygiene is essential in a food preparation environment. |
| personal responsibility | Taking personal responsibility for your mistakes is a sign of maturity. |
Usage Notes
Key Points for ESL Learners
Attributive vs predicative: Personal is used both before a noun (a personal decision) and after a linking verb (this matter is personal). Both positions are equally natural.
Intensifier use: In spoken British English, personal is sometimes used as an intensifier to show that the speaker is expressing their own individual view: "That is my personal feeling on the matter." This is common in formal discussions and debates.
Personal vs personnel: These two words look and sound similar but are completely different. Personal (adjective) relates to a person; personnel (noun) means staff or employees. Mixing them up is one of the most frequent spelling errors in professional English.
Register: The phrase in my personal opinion is common but considered slightly redundant in academic writing, where in my opinion or I argue that is preferred. Use personal opinion in spoken English and informal writing.
Common Mistakes
Watch Out For
I need to speak to the personnels department. (confusing personal / personnel)
I need to speak to the personnel department. (personnel = staff/employees)
This is a very personally matter. (using the adverb form instead of the adjective)
This is a very personal matter. (adjective before noun)
She gave me a personal feedback. (personal is correct but feedback is uncountable)
She gave me personal feedback. (no article with uncountable nouns)