morena
/moˈɾena/
The English phrase "brown girl" is translated into Spanish as morena.
The term morena is commonly used as a descriptor for physical appearance regarding skin complexion or hair color.
Which one should you use?
In Spanish, morena can refer to both skin tone (brown/tan) and hair color (dark/brunette).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In parts of Latin America, chica trigueña is a colloquial term for "brown girl".
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form morenas is used when referring to a group consisting only of females.
How do you pronounce it?
/moˈɾena/
Did you know?
- In a biological context, morena is the Spanish word for a moray eel.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, morena is used as an affectionate nickname for the Virgin Mary, specifically La Morenita.
- The term morena shares a linguistic root with the English word 'Moor', referring to the historical inhabitants of North Africa.
Examples in context
- Ella es una chica morena de ascendencia hispana.She is a brown girl of Hispanic ancestry.
- Ana es una chica parda muy simpática.Ana is a very friendly brown girl.
- Esa morena es muy simpática.That brown girl is very nice.
- Vi a una morena en el parque.I saw a brown girl in the park.
- La morena tiene el pelo largo.The brown girl has long hair.
Example conversation
Javier and Lucía are looking at a photo of a friend.
- Javier¿Quién es la morena de la foto?Who is the brown girl in the photo?
- LucíaEs una amiga de la universidad.She is a friend from university.
- JavierParece una chica muy alegre.She looks like a very cheerful girl.
- LucíaSí, Lucía es una gran persona.Yes, Lucía is a great person.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry morena, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries morena, CC BY-SA 4.0.
