Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| marrón | /maˈron/ |
| café | /kaˈfe/ |
| pardo | /ˈpaɾdo/ |
| castaño | /kasˈtaɲo/ |
| cafesoso | /kafesoso/ (from spelling rules) |
While marrón and café are general terms for the color brown, castaño is specifically used to describe hair or eye color. Pardo is often used to describe a dull, earthy or grayish-brown color, frequently used in biological contexts for animal fur. The word moreno is used to describe a person with dark hair or a dark/tanned complexion rather than a literal object's color.
Which one should you use?
marrón and café are general terms for the color brown. Castaño is specifically used to describe hair or eye color.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The term café is very common in many Latin American countries to denote the color brown, whereas marrón is more standard in Spain. Pardo is a regional variation used in Spain and some Latin American countries. Castaño is used in Spain mainly to describe hair color or horse coats.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When used as a color, café is an invariable adjective and does not change for gender or number.
How do you pronounce it?
/maˈron/
Did you know?
- The word pardo comes from the Latin word for 'leopard', reflecting the animal's brownish-yellow coat.
Examples in context
- El gato es café.The cat is brown.This sentence shows how to use café to describe an animal.Tatoeba #6170949 by cueyayotl, translation #1185156 by CK
- El pan es marrón.The bread is brown.This sentence shows how to use marrón to describe food.Tatoeba #13466098 by Seael, translation #2353529 by kerbear407
- La rata es marrón.The rat is brown.This sentence shows how to use marrón to describe an animal.Tatoeba #5019471 by don_ramon, translation #13045030 by araneo
- La mesa es de color marrón.The table is brown.
- La silla tiene un tono café oscuro.The chair has a dark brown shade.
- Me encanta ese abrigo café.I love that brown coat.
- Tengo unos ojos café muy bonitos.I have beautiful brown eyes.
- El cabello de esa modelo es castaño claro.That model's hair is light brown.
- En el Caribe tienen playas con arena color canela.In the Caribbean, they have beaches with cinnamon-colored sand.
- 73 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Javier are looking at a new sofa in a furniture store.
- María¿Te gusta este sofá marrón?Do you like this brown sofa?
- JavierSí, el color marrón es muy elegante.Yes, the brown color is very elegant.
- MaríaEs verdad, combina con todo.It's true, it goes with everything.
- JavierVamos a comprarlo entonces.Let's buy it then.
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.
