Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| morena | /moˈɾena/ | feminine |
| moreno | /moˈɾeno/ | masculine |
The term is frequently used as a noun to categorize people by their physical appearance in social contexts. It can refer to a person with dark hair or a person with a dark complexion, such as someone who is tanned or dark-skinned.
Which one should you use?
While in English 'brunette' refers specifically to hair color, in Spanish moreno/a can refer to both hair color and a person's skin tone. Additionally, if you want to refer specifically to the hair color 'chestnut' or 'brown', you should use castaño instead of the more general moreno/a.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine form moreno is used when referring to a man with dark hair or a dark complexion, while the feminine form morena is used when referring to a woman with dark hair or a dark complexion.
How do you pronounce it?
/moˈɾena/
Did you know?
- While morena describes a brunette woman, the same word is also the common name for a 'moray eel' in Spanish.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, moreno is used as a term of endearment or a nickname for a loved one, regardless of their exact shade of brown hair.
- Because moreno covers both hair and skin, a person with blonde hair but a deep suntan can be called moreno in a way that would be impossible in English.
Examples in context
- ¿Tu esposa es rubia o morena?Is your wife a blonde or a brunette?This sentence is useful for asking about a woman's hair color using morena.Tatoeba #2260724 by marcelostockle, translation #2260577 by Amastan
- Es tirar una moneda si el playboy se casará con la rubia o la morena, ambas chicas son tan hermosas.It is a toss-up whether the playboy will marry the blonde or the brunette, both girls are so beautiful.This sentence illustrates a comparison between two women using morena.Tatoeba #5889832 by albrusgher, translation #68623 by papabear
- María se ha convertido en una chica muy encantadora. Ella es morena y tiene ojos verdes como su madre.Mary has become a very charming girl. She's a brunette and has green eyes like her mother.This sentence describes a woman's physical appearance using morena.Tatoeba #12193990 by carlosalberto, translation #12194225 by Miktsoanit
- Ella es una chica morena.She is a brunette girl.
- Ellas son chicas morenas.They are brunette girls.
- Mi amiga tiene el pelo castaño oscuro.My friend has dark brown hair.
- Ella es una mujer castaña y carismática.She is a charismatic brunette woman.
- La niña es castaña y muy inteligente.The girl is brunette and very intelligent.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elena and Javier are talking about a woman they saw at a party.
- Elena¿Viste a la chica nueva?Did you see the new girl?
- JavierSí, la morena de la chaqueta azul.Yes, the brunette in the blue jacket.
- ElenaElla es muy simpática.She is very nice.
- JavierEs verdad, parece muy amable.It's true, she seems very kind.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “brunette” translations and entries morena, moreno, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries morena, moreno, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
