tengo el pelo negro
/tenɡo el pelo neɡɾo/from spelling rules
The English phrase "my hair is black" is translated into Spanish as tengo el pelo negro.
This phrase is used to state the natural color of the hair on one's head.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, the phrase translates to "I have the hair black".
Which one should you use?
You may also see tengo el cabello negro or Mi cabello es negro.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, people often use pelo instead of cabello.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Spanish, it is more common to use the verb tener (to have) to describe hair color rather than using the verb ser (to be).
How do you pronounce it?
/tenɡo el pelo neɡɾo/
Did you know?
- The Spanish word negro is used in the idiom trabajar negro to describe working 'off the books' or in the informal economy, which has nothing to do with actual hair or color.
- In Spanish, the word pelo is used for any hair on the body, while cabello specifically refers to the hair on the head.
- Describing hair as negro is often used poetically in Spanish to describe deep midnight tones, even if the hair is technically a very dark brown.
Examples in context
- Tengo el pelo negro natural.My hair is naturally black.
- No necesito teñirme porque tengo el pelo negro.I don't need to dye it because my hair is black.
- Ella dice que tengo el pelo negro.She says that my hair is black.
Example conversation
Sofía and Mateo are talking about their family traits.
- SofíaMira mi foto, yo tengo el pelo negro.Look at my photo, my hair is black.
- MateoEs verdad, Sofía, es muy bonito.That's true, Sofía, it is very pretty.
- Sofía¿Y tú tienes el pelo castaño, no?And you have brown hair, right?
- MateoSí, Mateo tiene el pelo castaño como su padre.Yes, Mateo has brown hair like his father.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
