persona morena
/peɾsona moɾena/from spelling rules
The English phrase "brown person" is translated into Spanish as persona morena.
In many Spanish-speaking contexts, the adjective moreno/a can refer to someone with dark hair or dark skin, not just a specific skin tone.
Which one should you use?
If you want to be more formal, you might use persona de color to mean "person of color" or persona de tez morena to mean "person with a dark complexion".
Is it said differently in some regions?
The informal term trigueño/a is commonly used in Latin America, particularly in countries like Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase persona morena is grammatically feminine because persona is a feminine noun, regardless of the person's actual gender.
How do you pronounce it?
/peɾsona moɾena/
Did you know?
- The word morena has a surprising connection to the sea, as it is ultimately derived from the Ancient Greek word for a 'sea eel'.
- The term trigueño describes a skin tone that resembles the color of wheat, which is why it is used as a specific alternative to moreno.
- In Spain, moreno is frequently used to describe someone with dark hair and fair skin, whereas in Latin America it more often describes skin tone.
Examples in context
- El profesor fue elogiado por su compromiso con la igualdad y la diversidad, ayudando especialmente a estudiantes de tez morena.The professor was praised for his commitment to equality and diversity, particularly aiding students with a dark complexion.
- ¡Hola, Juan! ¿Has visto a nuestro amigo moreno por aquí?Hey, Juan! Have you seen our brown-skinned friend around here?
- María es una chica trigueña muy simpática y talentosa.María is a friendly and talented brown-skinned girl.
- Él es una persona morena.He is a brown person.
- Busco a una persona morena para el grupo.I am looking for a brown person for the group.
Example conversation
Sofía is describing a new coworker to Daniel.
- SofíaDaniel, el nuevo empleado es una persona morena.Daniel, the new employee is a brown person.
- DanielNo lo conozco todavía.I don't know him yet.
- SofíaEs una persona morena muy amable.He is a very kind brown person.
- DanielMe gustaría saludarlo luego.I would like to greet him later.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries morena, persona, CC BY-SA 4.0.
