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complexion and Spanish complexión
In English
complexion
the skin tone and appearance of the face
In Spanish
complexión
forma del cuerpo
Spanish "complexión" means: build (body)
Why they get mixed up Spanish "complexión" describes a person's physical build: whether they're sturdy, thin, or athletic. English "complexion" is the tone and appearance of facial skin. Same-looking word, different body parts.
If you want to say...
- complexiontez o cutis
- buildcomplexión
- skinpiel
Examples
She has a fair complexion.
Tiene un cutis claro.
The cream improves your complexion.
La crema mejora tu cutis.
He has a dark complexion and green eyes.
Tiene la piel oscura y ojos verdes.
Stress can affect your complexion.
El estrés puede afectar tu cutis.
Common mistakes in Spanish
Incorrect: Tiene una complexión pálida y muy delgada.
Correct: Tiene la tez pálida y es muy delgada.
Complexión means body build. For facial skin, use tez or cutis.
Incorrect: Su complexión mejoró con la crema.
Correct: Su cutis mejoró con la crema.
For facial skin quality, use cutis or tez.
Phrases you will hear
- a fair complexionuna tez clara
- a dark complexionuna tez oscura
- a healthy complexionun cutis sano
- clear skinpiel limpia
- change the complexion of thingscambiar el aspecto de las cosas
- a strong builduna complexión fuerte
In a conversation
- A:
She has a beautiful complexion.
Ella tiene un cutis hermoso.
- B:
She drinks a lot of water.
Toma mucha agua.
- A:
And her brother has a strong build.
Y su hermano tiene una complexión fuerte.
- B:
He lifts weights every day.
Levanta pesas todos los días.
Test yourself
"A clear complexion" is...
To remember it
Complexion = skin tone/appearance. Physical build (Spanish "complexión") = build.
Frequently asked questions
What does Spanish "complexión" mean?
Spanish "complexión" means "build (body)". It looks like the English "complexion", which is exactly why it gets confused, but "complexion" means "the skin tone and appearance of the face".
Does English "complexion" mean the same as Spanish "complexión"?
Spanish "complexión" describes a person's physical build: whether they're sturdy, thin, or athletic. English "complexion" is the tone and appearance of facial skin. Same-looking word, different body parts.