Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| marrón | /maˈron/ |
| café | /kaˈfe/ |
| pardo | /ˈpaɾdo/ |
| castaño | /kasˈtaɲo/ |
| cafesoso | /kafesoso/ (from spelling rules) |
Spanish uses different words for brown depending on the context and the specific shade being described. While marrón is a general term for the color, café is a common synonym and pardo is used for a dull, brownish-gray shade often seen in skin tones or animal fur.
Which one should you use?
marrón is used as a general color term, whereas castaño is specifically used when describing the color of hair or eyes. While café literally means coffee, it is frequently used to mean the color brown. Finally, pardo describes a brownish-gray or duller shade.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In many parts of Latin America, café is more common than marrón for describing the color brown.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective marrón changes to marrones in its plural form to agree with plural nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/maˈron/
Did you know?
- If you describe someone as pardo in certain historical or regional contexts, it refers to a specific mixed-race heritage rather than just a color.
- The term café passed through Arabic, Ottoman Turkish, Italian and French before it ever entered the Spanish language.
Examples in context
- El gato es café.The cat is brown.This sentence uses café to describe an animal.Tatoeba #6170949 by cueyayotl, translation #1185156 by CK
- El pan es marrón.The bread is brown.This sentence uses marrón to describe food.Tatoeba #13466098 by Seael, translation #2353529 by kerbear407
- La rata es marrón.The rat is brown.This sentence uses marrón to describe an animal.Tatoeba #5019471 by don_ramon, translation #13045030 by araneo
- La mesa es marrón.The table is brown.
- La silla es caféThe chair is brown
- Mi perro tiene el pelaje marrón oscuro.My dog has a dark brown coat.
- El café que me gusta tiene un tono café claro.The coffee I like has a light brown tone.
- 73 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and María are looking at a piece of furniture in a store.
- Daniel¿Te gusta este sofá marrón?Do you like this brown sofa?
- MaríaSí, es un marrón muy bonito.Yes, it is a very pretty brown.
- DanielEl color marrón combina con todo.The color brown goes with everything.
- MaríaTienes razón, Daniel.You are right, Daniel.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “brown” translations and entries marrón, café, pardo, castaño, 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.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries café, castaño, marrón, pardo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
