piel oscura
/pjel oskuɾa/from spelling rules
The English phrase "dark skin" is translated into Spanish as piel oscura.
This phrase is used to describe skin that has a high level of melanin and a deep brown or black color.
Which one should you use?
While piel oscura refers to a deep, naturally dark skin tone, the phrase piel morena is often used to describe someone with a tan or a medium-brown complexion. Additionally, you can use tez oscura to refer specifically to a person's complexion or the skin tone of their face, substituting tez for piel.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of the phrase is pieles oscuras, where both the noun and the adjective take the feminine plural ending -as.
Did you know?
- While 'piel oscura' is a literal description, you may hear the term tez canela to describe skin the color of cinnamon, which is a common poetic way to praise a warm, brown complexion.
- The word piel shares a common ancestor with the English word 'peel', both originating from the Latin 'pellis' which refers to a skin or hide.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, describing someone as having piel morena is often viewed as a compliment or a neutral description of beauty, whereas 'dark' can sometimes carry unintended social weight.
Examples in context
- Tom tiene piel oscura.Tom has dark skin.This sentence is useful for showing how to use piel oscura in a simple description.Tatoeba #1411149 by marcelostockle, translation #1177522 by CK
- María tiene piel oscura, su tono de piel es bastante evidente.María has dark skin, her skin tone is quite evident.
- El modelo de pasarela tiene una complexión morena que lo distingue.The runway model has a dark complexion that sets him apart.
- Juan es muy moreno, a él le encanta pasar tiempo al aire libre.Juan is very dark-skinned, he loves spending time outdoors.
- Carmen siempre recibe piropos por su tono de piel trigueña.Carmen always receives compliments for her tanned skin tone.
- Ella tiene la piel oscura.She has dark skin.
- A mi hermano le gusta la piel oscura.My brother likes dark skin.
Example conversation
Daniel and Elena are discussing a new character in a book.
- Daniel¿Cómo es la protagonista?What is the protagonist like?
- ElenaEs una mujer de piel oscura.She is a woman with dark skin.
- DanielParece un personaje muy interesante.She seems like a very interesting character.
- ElenaSí, Daniel, es muy valiente.Yes, Daniel, she is very brave.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries piel, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
