ho i capelli castani
To say "I have brown hair" in Italian, use ho i capelli castani.
This phrase is used to state the natural color of one's hair.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "I have the hair brown".
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective castani (brown) must agree in gender and number with the noun capelli (hair), which is masculine plural.
Did you know?
- The word castano is derived from castagna, meaning 'chestnut'. This links the color of brown hair specifically to the hue of a chestnut shell.
- The word capelli comes from the Latin capillus, which specifically meant the fine hair of the head, as opposed to pilus, which referred to body hair in general.
- In Italy, if you say your hair is marrone, people might think you are talking about the color of a piece of clothing or a car. For hair, skin, or eyes, Italians almost exclusively use castano.
Examples in context
- Ho i capelli castani.I have brown hair.This sentence is useful for stating your hair color using ho i capelli castani.Tatoeba #730188 by Guybrush88, translation #436665 by lukaszpp
- Ho i capelli castani, non neri.I have brown hair, not black.
Example conversation
Sofia and Matteo are discussing their physical traits.
- SofiaIo ho i capelli castani, e tu?I have brown hair, and you?
- MatteoIo invece ho i capelli neri.I have black hair instead.
- SofiaSapevo che non ho i capelli castani come Matteo.I knew I don't have brown hair like Matteo.
- MatteoSì, siamo molto diversi!Yes, we are very different!
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
