Palabra Lexi · common words in Spanish
How to say "black" in Spanish
"Black" in Spanish is negro, pronounced NEH-groh (stress on the syllable in capitals). It is a masculine noun (el negro, plural los negros).
| Spanish | negro |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | NEH-groh |
| Meaning | black |
| Gender | masculine: el negro |
| Plural | los negros |
| Frequency | #109 in the Palabra list of common Spanish words |
Pronunciation is spelled out in English, one syllable at a time, with the stressed syllable in capitals. The speaker button uses your browser's built-in Spanish voice. Gender and plural: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.
How to pronounce negro
Negro is pronounced NEH-groh, in IPA /ˈneɡɾo/. Negro has two syllables, NEH-groh, with the stress on the first. There is no written accent because the word follows the basic rule: words ending in a vowel, -n or -s are stressed on the second-to-last syllable.
Listen: normal and slow speed, in your browser's Spanish voice. IPA: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.
Is negro masculine or feminine?
Negro is masculine, so it takes el (the) and un (a): el negro. The plural is los negros. That fits the usual pattern: most nouns ending in -o are masculine.
Example sentences
El caballo negro
The black horse
Café negro
black coffee
"Black" in Spain and Latin America
Negro changes with the noun: un coche negro, una casa negra. For dark hair or a tan, Spanish says moreno.
Regional words and roots: Diccionario de la lengua española (RAE). Spanish varies by region, so treat these as the most common patterns, not strict rules.
How to remember negro
negro [NEH-groh] sounds like the English “negative”. Picture this:
On the photo negative the black cat is white — only the eyes stay green.
A sound-alike plus a vivid scene is the keyword method, a well-studied way to learn vocabulary. How it works.
Practice negro
Two quick games, right here: no sign-up, nothing is sent anywhere.