canas
everyday
Mexicans say canas for grey hair, as in Ya tengo canas. A person with grey hair is canoso or canosa. It is also called pelo canoso and pelo gris.
Meaning: hair that has turned grey or white (noun)
Ways to say it
| Mexican | Note |
|---|---|
| canas | everyday |
| pelo canoso | neutral |
| pelo gris | literal |
The word canas is always plural when it means the grey hairs on someone's head. People say salirle canas to describe grey hairs appearing.
Which one should you use?
Pelo gris is a literal description, for example for a hair color. Canas is what people actually say about aging hair.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say someone is going grey, use tener canas or estar canoso.
Did you know?
- Cana comes from the Latin canus, which meant white or grey.
Examples in context
- Me salieron unas canas.I got some grey hairs.
- Mi abuelo tiene el pelo canoso.My grandfather has grey hair.
- Ya tienes muchas canas.You already have a lot of grey hair.
Example conversation
Lupita and her sister Carmen look at old photos in Mexico City.
- LupitaMira, papá ya tenía canas aquí.Look, dad already had grey hair here.
- CarmenSí, y tú te las pintas.Yes, and you dye yours.
- LupitaJamás lo admito.I will never admit it.
