canas
everyday
The everyday Spanish word for gray hair is canas, as in tengo canas. The idiom peinar canas means to be getting old, and pelo cano is the more formal way to say gray hair.
Meaning: gray or white hair (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | Note |
|---|---|
| canas | everyday |
| pelo cano | formal |
| peinar canas | idiom |
Say Me salieron canas for I got gray hairs. For a person with gray hair, use tiene canas or es canoso.
How does it change in a sentence?
Canas is feminine plural. The adjective for gray-haired is canoso for a man and canosa for a woman.
When do people say it?
Peinar canas is a playful way to say someone has lived a long life, as in Ya peino canas.
Did you know?
- The Spanish adjective cano comes from Latin and refers to white or gray hair.
Examples in context
- Me salieron las primeras canas.I got my first gray hairs.
- Mi abuelo tiene el pelo cano.My grandfather has gray hair.
- Ya peino canas, pero me siento joven.I am getting old, but I feel young.
Example conversation
Rafael and his sister Inés joke about aging at a family lunch in Salamanca.
- InésRafael, tienes canas.Rafael, you have gray hair.
- RafaelYa peino canas, hermana.I am getting old, sister.
- InésTe quedan bien.They suit you.
