Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| negro | /ˈneɡɾo/ |
| prieto | /ˈpɾjeto/ |
| renegrido | /reneɡɾido/ (from spelling rules) |
The primary use of negro is as an adjective meaning the color that absorbs all light. It can also function as a noun to refer to the color itself. When describing people, negro can refer to a dark-skinned person, though it is related to other terms like moreno and negra.
Which one should you use?
While negro can be used to describe skin color, the word moreno is a more common and often more polite way to describe someone with dark hair or a tanned or dark complexion. The forms prieto and renegrido are also provided as variations of the color black.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective negro must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. Use negra for feminine singular nouns, negros for masculine plural nouns and negras for feminine plural nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈneɡɾo/
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, calling someone negro or negra is used as a term of endearment between partners or friends, regardless of their actual skin tone.
- The phrase estar en negro is used in several Spanish-speaking countries to describe working 'off the books' or without a legal contract.
- In Spanish, the phrase ponerse negro can be used to describe someone becoming extremely angry, similar to the English 'seeing red'.
Examples in context
- El oso es negro.The bear is black.This sentence shows how to use negro to describe an animal.Tatoeba #6864195 by albrusgher, translation #5894557 by captcrouton
- Tu gato es negro.Your cat is black.This sentence shows how to use negro to describe a pet.Tatoeba #3191628 by cueyayotl, translation #3189153 by zumley
- Es un hoyo negro.It is a black hole.This sentence shows how to use negro in a scientific context.Tatoeba #3466188 by cueyayotl, translation #1479375 by AsliAbbasi
- Ella lleva un vestido negro.She is wearing a black dress.
- El coche es negro.The car is black.
- Me gusta llevar ropa negra.I like to wear black clothes.
- El perro es negro y muy lindo.The dog is black and very cute.
- Tengo un gato prieto.I have a black cat.
- Mi amigo tiene el pelo prieto.My friend has black hair.
- 283 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and Sofía are looking at a new car in a parking lot.
- JavierMira ese coche negro.Look at that black car.
- SofíaEs muy elegante, Javier.It is very elegant, Javier.
- JavierSí, pero el color negro se ensucia rápido.Yes, but the black color gets dirty quickly.
- SofíaTienes razón, Sofía piensa que es difícil de limpiar.You are right, Sofía thinks it is hard to clean.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “black” translations and entries negro, prieto, renegrido, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
