Inklingo

How to Say "melancholy" in Spanish

English → Spanish

melancolía

nounB2general
Use this for a profound, pensive, and often prolonged feeling of sadness.

Examples

Siento una profunda melancolía cuando escucho las canciones de mi infancia.

I feel a deep melancholy when I listen to the songs of my childhood.

melancólico

adjectiveB1general
Use this adjective to describe yourself or someone else as feeling or exhibiting a gentle, reflective sadness.

Examples

Hoy me siento un poco melancólico por la lluvia.

I feel a bit melancholy today because of the rain.

sombrío

/som-BREE-oh//somˈbɾi.o/

adjectiveB2general
Use this to describe a person's expression or demeanor that is dark, gloomy, and sad, often in response to something specific.
A small, sad bear sitting alone on a wooden bench under a rainy cloud.

Examples

Tenía un semblante sombrío después de recibir la noticia.

He had a somber expression after receiving the news.

El futuro de la empresa parece un poco sombrío.

The future of the company looks a bit dismal.

Su humor siempre es sombrío por las mañanas.

His mood is always gloomy in the mornings.

Using with 'Ser' vs 'Estar'

Use 'ser' to describe a person's permanent personality (Es sombrío) and 'estar' to describe a temporary mood (Está sombrío hoy).

Literal Translation Error

Mistake: “Él es muy sombra.”

Correction: Él es muy sombrío. ('Sombra' is the noun shadow; 'sombrío' is the description for a person).

blues

/bloos//blus/

nounA2informal
This informal and poetic term refers to a general feeling of sadness or a 'vibe,' often associated with listening to music.
A person playing a blue-colored acoustic guitar on a simple wooden stool.

Examples

Me encanta escuchar blues cuando está lloviendo.

I love listening to blues when it's raining.

Este festival de jazz también tiene mucho blues.

This jazz festival also has a lot of blues.

Él es un gran guitarrista de blues.

He is a great blues guitarist.

Singular vs. Plural

Even though 'blues' ends in an 's', it is treated as a singular concept in Spanish. You say 'el blues', not 'los blues' when talking about the genre.

Gender confusion

Mistake: “La blues.”

Correction: El blues.

Melancolía vs. Melancólico

The most common confusion is between 'melancolía' (noun) and 'melancólico' (adjective). Remember that 'melancolía' is the feeling itself, while 'melancólico' describes a person experiencing that feeling.

Related Translations

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