pelirrojo
/peliˈroxo/
pelirrojo is the Spanish word for red-haired.
The term is used to describe a person who has naturally red hair. You can specify the shade of the hair by adding descriptors: use pelirrojo claro for light red-haired and pelirrojo oscuro for dark red-haired.
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a compound consisting of pelo (hair) and rojo (red).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina and Uruguay, you may encounter the term colorado as a synonym for pelirrojo.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective must agree in gender and number with the person being described. Use pelirroja for a female, pelirrojos for a group of men or a mixed-gender group and pelirrojas for a group of only women.
How do you pronounce it?
/peliˈroxo/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using rojo alone to describe hair color, as it primarily refers to the color red.
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, the word colorado can mean 'blushing' or 'embarrassed', creating a funny ambiguity when describing a pelirrojo person.
- In certain contexts, pelirrojos are associated with the myth of being 'soul-less' or having a temperamental nature, mirroring similar folk beliefs about redheads in English-speaking cultures.
- The structure of pelirrojo includes a connecting 'i' between pelo and rojo, which serves as a linguistic bridge common in Spanish compound words.
Examples in context
- La chica nueva en el colegio es pelirroja.The new girl in school has red hair.
- ¡Mira a ese chico colorado!Look at that red-haired guy!
- Esa niña colorada tiene unos ojos verdes preciosos.That red-haired girl has beautiful green eyes.
- Mi hermano es pelirrojo.My brother is red-haired.
- Ella es pelirroja.She is red-haired.
- Ese chico pelirrojo es mi primo.That red-haired boy is my cousin.
- No conozco a ningún pelirrojo aquí.I don't know any redhead here.
Example conversation
Javier and Elena are looking at a photo of classmates.
- Javier¿Ves al chico pelirrojo de la foto?Do you see the red-haired boy in the photo?
- ElenaSí, es muy guapo.Yes, he is very handsome.
- JavierÉl es un pelirrojo muy simpático.He is a very friendly redhead.
- ElenaParece una buena persona, Javier.He seems like a good person, Javier.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry pelirrojo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
