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tinta

teen-tah/ˈtinta/

ink

Also: cartridge
NounfA1
A simple, open glass inkwell containing black ink, with a feather quill resting against the bottle.

📝 In Action

Se me acabó la tinta de la pluma justo antes de terminar el examen.

A1

I ran out of ink in my pen right before finishing the exam.

Esta impresora necesita cartuchos de tinta negra y de color.

A2

This printer needs black and color ink cartridges.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • pigmento (pigment)
  • colorante (coloring agent)

Common Collocations

  • tinta china – India ink
  • tinta fresca – wet ink

dye, tint

Also: stain
NounfB1
A hand dipping a piece of white fabric into a bowl of bright red liquid dye.

📝 In Action

El peluquero me aplicó una tinta temporal para cambiar el tono de mi cabello.

B1

The hairdresser applied a temporary dye to change the shade of my hair.

La fábrica utiliza tintas vegetales para teñir las camisetas.

B2

The factory uses vegetable dyes to color the t-shirts.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • coloración (coloring)
  • barniz (varnish (for wood stain))

Common Collocations

  • tinta para el pelo – hair dye
  • teñir con tinta – to dye with colorant

stain

Also: bad reputation
NounfC1informal
A prominent, dark black liquid stain soaking into a perfectly white cloth napkin.

📝 In Action

La prensa le ha echado mala tinta por sus comentarios recientes.

C1

The press has given him a bad reputation (literally: 'thrown bad ink') for his recent comments.

Aunque fue absuelto, le quedó una tinta de sospecha.

C2

Even though he was acquitted, a stain of suspicion remained on him.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • mancha (stain, spot)
  • deshonra (dishonor)

Idioms & Expressions

  • Echar mala tinta – To give someone a bad reputation or bad press.

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "tinta" in Spanish:

bad reputation→cartridge→dye→ink→stain→tint→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: tinta

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence uses 'tinta' in its most common, everyday meaning (A1 level)?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
tinto(red (wine), dyed) — Adjective
teñir(to dye, to stain) — Verb
tintorero(dyer, dry cleaner) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

The word 'tinta' comes from the Latin word *tincta*, which means 'dyed' or 'colored.' It is the feminine form of the past tense of the Latin verb *tingere*, meaning 'to dye' or 'to moisten.' This shows how the original concept was always about adding color to something.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: tintaItalian: tinta

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'tinta' related to 'vino tinto' (red wine)?

Yes, they share the same root! 'Tinto' literally means 'dyed' or 'colored,' which is why it's used to describe red wine. 'Tinta' is the liquid coloring substance, and 'tinto' is the adjective describing the color.

How do I say 'tattoo ink' in Spanish?

You can say 'tinta de tatuaje' or sometimes just 'pigmento para tatuar.' 'Tinta' works perfectly fine here.