What does it mean word for word?
Literally, the phrase translates to "you have the hair brown".
Which one should you use?
You may see variations using different words for hair. While pelo is common, you can use cabello to sound slightly more formal or elegant. Regarding the color, marrón is a general word for the color brown, but castaño is the specific term used for hair or eyes. In some regions, people may also use café to describe the hair color.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In certain regions, the word castaño might be replaced with café or marrón to describe the hair color.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Spanish, hair color is typically expressed using the verb tener (to have) followed by the definite article el and the noun pelo. Note that the adjective must agree in gender with the noun pelo, which is masculine, so the adjective must end in -o.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying tienes el pelo castaña. Because pelo is a masculine noun, the adjective must also be masculine. Therefore, it must end in -o rather than -a.
Did you know?
Examples in context
- Tú tienes el pelo castaño.You have brown hair.
- Veo que tienes el pelo castaño.I see that you have brown hair.
- Me gusta porque tienes el pelo castaño.I like it because you have brown hair.
Example conversation
Alejandro and María are discussing their family features.
- AlejandroTú tienes el pelo castaño, como tu madre.You have brown hair, like your mother.
- MaríaSí, es verdad.Yes, that is true.
- Alejandro¿Y tu hermano también?And your brother too?
- MaríaNo, él es rubio.No, he is blond.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries castaño, el, pelo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
