pelo enmarañado
/pelo emmaɾaɲado/from spelling rules
The English phrase "matted hair" is translated into Spanish as pelo enmarañado.
This phrase is used to describe hair that has become tangled into a thick, messy mass. You can also use pelo en nudos to refer specifically to hair that is tangled and knotted.
What does it mean word for word?
The adjective enmarañado is derived from the verb enmarañar, which means to tangle or to entangle.
Which one should you use?
You might use the idiom el pelo hecho un nido to informally compare the matted hair to a bird's nest.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because pelo is a masculine singular noun, the adjective enmarañado must also be in the masculine singular form.
How do you pronounce it?
/pelo emmaɾaɲado/
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, if someone has very thick, tangled hair, they might colloquially say they have pelo de escoba, meaning 'broom hair'.
- The Spanish word pelo is a linguistic relative of the English word 'pile' as in a 'pile carpet'. Both words trace back to the Latin pilus which describes fine or short hair.
- The verb enmarañar can be used metaphorically in Spanish to describe a confusing situation or a complex plot, not just physical tangles.
Examples in context
- ¡No puedo peinarme por los pelos liados!I can't comb my hair because of the tangled hair!
- Después de la fiesta, tenía el pelo hecho un nidoAfter the party, my hair was a tangled mess.
- Tiene el pelo muy enmarañado por el viento.His hair is very matted from the wind.
- Tiene el pelo enmarañado por el viento.She has matted hair from the wind.
- Es difícil peinar un pelo enmarañado.It is difficult to comb matted hair.
- El perro tiene el pelo enmarañado.The dog has matted hair.
Example conversation
Alejandro and Elena are at a pet grooming salon.
- AlejandroMira el pelo enmarañado de este perro.Look at this dog's matted hair.
- ElenaPobre animal, necesita un buen corte.Poor animal, he needs a good haircut.
- AlejandroElena, ¿crees que sea muy difícil de arreglar?Elena, do you think it will be very difficult to fix?
- ElenaNo, el peluquero lo arreglará rápido.No, the groomer will fix it quickly.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pelo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
