tinta
/teen-tah/
ink
Tinta as 'ink,' the liquid used for writing.
📝 In Action
Se me acabó la tinta de la pluma justo antes de terminar el examen.
A1I ran out of ink in my pen right before finishing the exam.
Esta impresora necesita cartuchos de tinta negra y de color.
A2This printer needs black and color ink cartridges.
💡 Grammar Points
Gender Alert
Remember that 'tinta' is always feminine, so you must use feminine words with it, like 'la tinta' or 'mucha tinta'.
⭐ Usage Tips
Printer Talk
When talking about printer supplies, you often hear 'cartucho de tinta' (ink cartridge) or simply 'la tinta' to refer to the supply itself.
Tinta can also mean 'dye,' used to color materials like fabric.
tinta(noun)
dye
?substance used to color materials
,tint
?light color application
stain
?substance used to color wood
📝 In Action
El peluquero me aplicó una tinta temporal para cambiar el tono de mi cabello.
B1The hairdresser applied a temporary dye to change the shade of my hair.
La fábrica utiliza tintas vegetales para teñir las camisetas.
B2The factory uses vegetable dyes to color the t-shirts.
⭐ Usage Tips
Dye vs. Paint
While 'pintura' is generally paint, 'tinta' refers specifically to the coloring agent that penetrates or stains a material, like wood or fabric, rather than sitting on top.
Figuratively, tinta refers to a 'stain' or mark on one's reputation.
📝 In Action
La prensa le ha echado mala tinta por sus comentarios recientes.
C1The press has given him a bad reputation (literally: 'thrown bad ink') for his recent comments.
Aunque fue absuelto, le quedó una tinta de sospecha.
C2Even though he was acquitted, a stain of suspicion remained on him.
⭐ Usage Tips
Use with Reputation
This meaning is almost exclusively used in phrases involving 'mala tinta' (bad ink/stain) to describe a negative mark on a person's character or history.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: tinta
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'tinta' in its most common, everyday meaning (A1 level)?
📚 More Resources
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.