rubio
/ˈrubjo/
The English word "blonde" is translated into Spanish as rubio.
rubio describes someone having pale yellow or golden-colored hair. When you want to refer specifically to the hair itself as a noun, you can use el rubio, though it is more common to use the phrase el pelo rubio.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective must agree in gender with the person being described, so use rubia for a woman. The plural form rubios is used when describing a group of men or a mixed-gender group of blondes. The plural form rubias is used when describing a group of only women who are blonde.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈrubjo/
Did you know?
- The word rubio actually shares a common ancestor with the word 'red', specifically the Latin rubeus which meant 'reddish'.
- Because rubio shares a root with the Latin word for red, it is a linguistic relative of the English word 'ruby'.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, rubio is used as a generic term to describe anyone with light features, including those with light eyes or fair skin.
Examples in context
- Tengo el pelo rubio.I have blonde hair.This sentence is useful for stating that you have the hair color rubio.Tatoeba #5019479 by don_ramon, translation #5211624 by tabular
- Ella se tiñó de rubio.She dyed her hair blonde.This sentence shows how to use the word rubio when discussing hair dye.Tatoeba #2008666 by Shishir, translation #1977727 by Spamster
- Cuando era chico, yo era rubio.When I was little, I was blonde.This sentence illustrates using rubio to describe a person's appearance in the past.Tatoeba #4148799 by Leono, translation #3120527 by CM
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are looking at a photo album.
- Alejandro¿Quién es el niño rubio de la foto?Who is the blonde boy in the photo?
- MaríaEs mi primo, él es muy rubio.It is my cousin, he is very blonde.
- Alejandro¡Qué lindo! ¿Es parecido a ti?How cute! Is he similar to you?
- MaríaNo, yo tengo el pelo oscuro.No, I have dark hair.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry rubio, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries rubio, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
