oscuro
/osˈkuɾo/
The Spanish word for dark is oscuro.
The adjective oscuro is used to describe something that has an absolute or relative lack of light. You can also use the related noun oscuridad to refer to the concept of darkness itself, or to describe a state of ignorance.
Meaning: having an absolute or relative lack of light (adj)
Which one should you use?
oscuro is the adjective used to describe the quality of being dark, whereas oscuridad is the noun used to refer to the darkness itself.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, oscuro must agree in both gender and number with the noun it modifies. Use oscura for feminine singular nouns, oscuros for masculine plural nouns and oscuras for feminine plural nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/osˈkuɾo/
Did you know?
- The Spanish word oscuro is a direct cognate of the English word 'obscure', sharing the same Latin root.
- Spanish distinguishes between oscuro, meaning dark, and tenue, which describes a light that is dim or faint.
- The word oscuro can sometimes refer to things that are suspicious or shady, similar to how 'dark' is used in English slang.
Examples in context
- Prefiero el rojo oscuro.I like dark red better.This sentence shows how to use oscuro to describe a color.Tatoeba #4398682 by pchamorro, translation #259894 by CK
- Está oscuro en esa pieza.It is dark in that room.This sentence shows how to use oscuro to describe the lighting in a room.Tatoeba #1976869 by marcelostockle, translation #67833 by CK
- ¿Por qué está tan oscuro?Why is it so dark?This sentence shows how to use oscuro to ask about the level of light in an environment.Tatoeba #4708333 by DarkHollow, translation #11613448 by tieguy
- El vestido es de un tono azul oscuro.The dress is a dark blue tone.
- El coche es de color gris oscuro.The car is dark gray.
- El cuadro es de un verde oscuro muy elegante.The painting is a very elegant dark green.
- La oscuridad de la cueva era agobiante.The darkness of the cave was overwhelming.
- Sentí miedo en la oscuridad de la noche.I felt scared in the darkness of the night.
- La habitación estaba sumida en la oscuridad total.The room was immersed in total darkness.
- Me encanta el chocolate negro.I love dark chocolate.
- es un rojo obscuroDark red
- 115 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Alejandro are walking through a forest at night.
- LucíaEste camino es muy oscuro.This path is very dark.
- AlejandroTienes razón, Lucía.You are right, Lucía.
- LucíaNo veo nada delante de nosotros.I can't see anything in front of us.
- AlejandroVoy a encender la linterna.I am going to turn on the flashlight.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dark” translations and entries oscuro, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries oscuro, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
