blanco
/ˈblanko/masculine
blanco is the Spanish word for white.
The word refers to the color white. It can also be used as an adjective to describe something as bright and colourless, or in some contexts to refer to someone of Caucasian descent.
Meaning: color (noun)
Which one should you use?
While blanco is the standard term, the related forms albo and albar can also be used to describe things that are bright and colourless. For describing people of Caucasian descent, one might also use blanquiñoso or albo.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, blanco must agree in gender and number with the noun it describes. Use blanca for feminine singular nouns, blancos for masculine plural nouns and blancas for feminine plural nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈblanko/
Did you know?
- The phrase quedarse en blanco is used when someone suddenly forgets everything they were going to say, similar to 'drawing a blank'.
- The word blanco can also refer to a 'target' or a 'mark' in certain contexts, such as when someone is aiming at a specific point.
- The English word 'blank' is actually a close relative of the Spanish blanco, as both trace back to the same Germanic root meaning 'shining' or 'bright'.
Examples in context
- El pan es blanco.The bread is white.This sentence shows how to use blanco to describe the color of bread.Tatoeba #13685842 by Seael, translation #12788497 by rul
- El gato es blanco.The cat is white.This sentence shows how to use blanco to describe a cat.Tatoeba #3958307 by senryakun, translation #3958312 by senryakun
- Mi gato es blanco.My cat is white.This sentence shows how to use blanco when describing a specific cat.Tatoeba #4647859 by saverius, translation #4628627 by Lazovic
- 294 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and María are looking at a new shirt in a shop.
- María¿Te gusta este color?Do you like this color?
- AlejandroSí, me gusta el blanco.Yes, I like white.
- MaríaEs un blanco muy limpio.It is a very clean white.
- AlejandroEs perfecto para ti, María.It is perfect for you, María.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “white” translations and entries blanco, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries blanco, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
