morena
/moˈɾẽ.nɐ/feminine
The English word 'brunette' is translated to Portuguese as morena.
The term morena refers specifically to a female brunette. While in English 'brunette' focuses on hair color, in Portuguese, morena can refer to both hair color and a darker or tanned skin tone. If you want to specify that a person has brown hair but light skin, you can use the phrase morena de pele clara.
Meaning: a person, especially female, with brown hair (noun)
Which one should you use?
The masculine form of the word is moreno, used to describe a male brunette. In English, 'brunette' is specifically about hair, but in Portuguese, the term covers both hair color and skin complexion.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In both Brazil and Portugal, the diminutive forms moreninho or moreninha are used colloquially to refer to someone with dark hair and a dark complexion.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine form of the word is moreno.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables, with the stress on the 2nd syllable: /moˈɾẽ.nɐ/.
Did you know?
- The word morena is derived from moreno, which is linked to the word for the color dark or Moorish.
- In Brazil, morena is frequently used as a flirtatious nickname or a romantic term of endearment for women, even among strangers.
- The word moreno can be used to describe people of mixed racial heritage, such as those of African and European descent, moving beyond simple hair color.
Examples in context
- A mulher de Peter é morena.Peter's wife is a brunette.This sentence is useful for describing a woman's hair color or complexion using morena.Tatoeba #7080018 by pajunior, translation #7079670 by verymuchso
- Tenho um encontro com uma morena adorável.I have a date with a lovely brunette.This sentence shows how to use morena when referring to a person you are meeting.Tatoeba #9799544 by Ricardo14, translation #8390959 by Amastan
- Eu tive três namoradas: a primeira era loira, a segunda, morena, e a terceira, ruiva.I had three girlfriends: the first was a blonde, the second a brunette, and the third a redhead.This sentence demonstrates how morena is used in a list to distinguish hair types.Tatoeba #6151617 by carlosalberto, translation #6151561 by CarpeLanam
- Encontrei uma mulher com cabelos castanhos no supermercado.I met a woman with brunette hair at the supermarket.
- Muitas pessoas morenas podem ser encontradas em festas brasileiras.Many brunettes can be found at Brazilian parties.
- Minha amiga é uma morena linda.My friend is a beautiful brunette.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Felipe and Mariana are talking about a new coworker.
- FelipeA nova colega é morena?Is the new colleague a brunette?
- MarianaSim, ela é uma morena muito simpática.Yes, she is a very friendly brunette.
- FelipeEla trabalha no marketing?Does she work in marketing?
- MarianaNão, ela trabalha no RH.No, she works in HR.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “brunette” translations and entries morena, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries morena, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
