pelo rubio
/pelo ɾubjo/from spelling rules
The English phrase "blonde hair" is translated into Spanish as pelo rubio.
pelo rubio is used to describe hair that is pale yellow or golden in color.
Which one should you use?
While pelo rubio refers specifically to the hair color itself, the related term rubio/a can be used as a noun to mean a blonde person.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Spanish, when describing a physical characteristic like hair color, you typically use the definite article el instead of a possessive adjective like mi or su in many common constructions, such as Tengo el pelo rubio.
How do you pronounce it?
/pelo ɾubjo/
Did you know?
- The word rubio is actually a linguistic relative of the word 'red'. It stems from the Latin rubeus, which is the same root for 'ruby' and 'rubio' once referred to a reddish color.
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, rubio can describe not just hair but also the golden color of certain types of beer or wheat.
- While rubio describes blondes, the word pelirrojo is used for redheads, literally meaning 'red-haired'. This creates a distinction where the 'red' root in rubio shifted to mean blonde over time.
Examples in context
- Tengo el pelo rubio.I have blonde hair.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase pelo rubio in the first person.Tatoeba #5019479 by don_ramon, translation #5211624 by tabular
- Nuestra hija es pelirroja mientras que nosotros dos tenemos el pelo rubio.Our daughter has red hair while both of us have blonde hair.This sentence is useful for contrasting a person with red hair against two people with pelo rubio.Tatoeba #1262191 by Shishir, translation #1261420 by tsayng
- Ella tiene el pelo rubio.She has blonde hair.This sentence is useful for describing someone else's hair using pelo rubio.Tatoeba #6333207 by Adelpa, translation #4506312 by CH
- Ella tiene cabello rubioShe has blonde hair
- Ella tiene cabello rubio claro.She has light blonde hair
- Él tiene cabello rubio dorado.He has golden blonde hair
- Ella tiene cabello rubio oscuro.She has dark blonde hair
Example conversation
Elena and Mateo are discussing their new neighbor.
- Elena¿Viste a la vecina nueva?Did you see the new neighbor?
- MateoSí, ella tiene el pelo rubio.Yes, she has blonde hair.
- ElenaEs muy guapa.She is very pretty.
- MateoY tiene un pelo rubio muy brillante.And she has very shiny blonde hair.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pelo, rubio, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
