Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
How to Say Bald in Spanish: Calvo
Calvo · adjective · KAHL-boh
Bald in Spanish is calvo, an adjective describing someone without hair on their head, or pelón in Mexican colloquial usage.
Calvo is KAHL-boh, two syllables with the stress on the first.
Mi tío se quedó calvo a los treinta años.
My uncle went bald at thirty years old.
Bald in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for bald, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| calvo | bald | KAHL-boh | Default, widely understood |
| pelón | bald | Mexico, colloquial |
How Native Speakers Use Calvo
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Describing appearance
El hombre calvo con gafas es mi profesor.
The bald man with glasses is my professor.
Physical description.
Going bald
Estoy quedándome calvo y no me importa.
I'm going bald and I don't mind.
Quedarse calvo means to go bald.
Colloquial Mexican usage
Ya estás bien pelón, ¿verdad?
You're pretty bald now, right?
Pelón is the casual term in Mexico.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Calvo
Using calva for a man
Incorrect: Él es calva.
Correct: Él es calvo.
Calvo agrees in gender: calvo for masculine, calva for feminine.
Confusing calvo with caldo
Incorrect: Mi abuelo es caldo.
Correct: Mi abuelo es calvo.
Calvo means bald while caldo means broth/soup—similar sounds but very different meanings.
Lock in Bald Vocabulary with the Parrot Method
Why word lists alone don't stick
Memorizing a translation feels productive, but most learners forget 70% of what they studied within 48 hours. Vocabulary needs spaced repetition AND real-world exposure to transfer to long-term memory.
See Calvo used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using calvo in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear Mi tío se quedó calvo a los treinta años. while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.
Save, review, repeat, stay consistent
Tap any word to save it. Parrot's spaced-repetition system surfaces it right before you'd forget, no manual flashcard creation. The watch, parrot back, save, review cycle turns recognition into fluency at 2.7x the speed of traditional study.
Common Questions About Bald in Spanish
- How do you say bald in Spanish?
- The standard adjective is calvo (KAHL-boh), which changes to calva for women, and the colloquial Mexican term is pelón/pelona.
- How do you say to go bald in Spanish?
- The phrase is quedarse calvo, using the reflexive verb quedarse to indicate the process of becoming bald over time.
- Is pelón offensive?
- Pelón is informal and affectionate in most Mexican contexts, often used as a nickname, but tone and relationship matter—it can be teasing among friends.