melanina
/melaˈnina/feminine
The English word 'melanin' is translated into Spanish as melanina.
Melanina refers to the dark pigment.
Meaning: dark pigment (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
Melanina is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/melaˈnina/
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the word for 'melancholy', melancolía, shares the same root as melanina. Both words derive from the Greek word for 'black', reflecting an ancient belief that black bile caused sadness.
- While melanina describes the pigment, Spanish speakers often use the word canas to talk about the visible result of its loss in hair. This term refers specifically to the silver or white hairs that appear with age.
- Spanish uses the suffix -ina in melanina to categorize chemical substances. This is the same linguistic pattern used for other common compounds like aspirina and quinina.
Examples in context
- La melanina es responsable del color de nuestra piel y cabello.Melanin is responsible for the color of our skin and hair.
- La producción de melanina es estimulada por la exposición solar.The production of melanin is stimulated by sun exposure.
- La melanina protege la piel del sol.Melanin protects the skin from the sun.
- Su piel tiene mucha melanina.Her skin has a lot of melanin.
- La producción de melanina varía según la genética.Melanin production varies according to genetics.
Example conversation
Daniel and Lucía are discussing skincare at a cafe.
- Daniel¿Por qué tu piel es tan resistente al sol?Why is your skin so resistant to the sun?
- LucíaEs gracias a mi melanina natural.It is thanks to my natural melanin.
- DanielEso es una gran ventaja.That is a great advantage.
- LucíaSí, pero aun así uso protector solar.Yes, but I still use sunscreen.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “melanin” translations and entries melanina, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
