How to Say "Henna" in Spanish

henna

/ˈxena/feminine

The English word henna is translated into Spanish as henna. Wiktionary also lists hena and alheña.

Meaning: dye (noun)

Ways to say it

The term refers to the dye used for coloring hair or skin.

There are three forms for this word in Spanish. You may also see the spelling alheña or hena. All three words refer to the same dye.

/ˈxena/

The spelling henna in Spanish is a direct loan from English, while alheña is an older term inherited from the Arabic spoken in Andalusia.
In some Spanish-speaking regions, henna is associated not just with beauty, but with 'curas naturales' or natural cures for skin conditions.
In Spanish, the word henna is almost exclusively feminine, meaning you would refer to it as la henna.

La henna es una tintura natural utilizada para hacer elaborados diseños en la piel.
Henna is a natural dye used to create intricate designs on the skin.
El uso de la alheña con fines decorativos es una práctica tradicional en muchas culturas.
The use of henna for decorative purposes is a traditional practice in many cultures.
El mehndi se utiliza comúnmente en celebraciones y eventos festivos.
Mehndi is commonly used in celebrations and festive events.
Hoy vamos a hacer una sesión de mehndi antes de la boda.
Today, we're going to have a mehndi session before the wedding.
La henna se utiliza en ceremonias y celebraciones tradicionales.
Henna is used in traditional ceremonies and celebrations.
La henna es natural.
The henna is natural.
Me gusta el color de la henna.
I like the color of the henna.
Compré henna para el festival.
I bought henna for the festival.

Lucía and Javier are at a craft market.

Sources

Wiktionary, “henna” translations and entries henna, alheña, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
Word origins: Wiktionary entries alheña, henna, CC BY-SA 4.0.

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