Spanish word

moreno

Pronunciation

IPA/moˈɾeno/

Meaning

  • adjectivetanned, tan

Example

Después de las vacaciones estoy moreno.

After the holidays I'm tanned.

Illustration for moreno (tanned)

More examples

Me puse moreno en la playa el fin de semana.

I got a tan at the beach over the weekend.

Core concept

Person with dark brown hair or a dark complexion.

Common phrases

  • ponerse moreno

    get a tan

  • estar moreno

    be tanned

Similar words

bronceado: Skin that becomes brownish from sun exposure, the color of a tan.

Definition in Spanish

Dicho de una persona: de piel o cabello de tono oscuro, ya sea por bronceado temporal o por rasgos naturales.

Word origin

Derived from Latin maurus 'dark', moreno comes through medieval Spanish and historically refers to dark hair or dark skin, and today covers both natural coloring and tanning.

Usage tips

  • When moreno refers to hair it often means brunette, while in summer contexts ponerse moreno usually means to get a tan, so the intended reference often depends on context.

Other meanings

  • brownadjective
  • brunetteadjective
  • dark-hairedadjective

Opposites

Related words

  • morenitolightly sun-tannedadjective

Word lists with this word