Spanish · A2 · Family moment
A gentle haircut in Spanish
This guide focuses on daily hair and face care routines. In Spanish, when performing actions on your own body, we use reflexive pronouns (me, te, se) combined with the definite article (el, la) rather than possessive adjectives (mi, tu).
What you'll learn
- Learn to use reflexive pronouns with body parts.
- Practice vocabulary for hair care and hygiene.
- Encourage child independence using natural Spanish phrasing.
Spanish phrases for a gentle haircut
Me cepillo el pelo primero.
I'm brushing my hair first.
Notice the use of 'me' and 'el' instead of 'my'.
¿Te quieres peinar tú solo?
Would you like to comb your hair yourself?
Use 'sola' if speaking to a girl.
Puedes mojarte el pelo un poco.
You can wet your hair a little.
The pronoun 'te' is attached to the end of the infinitive 'mojar'.
Me seco la cara con esta toalla.
I'm drying my face with this towel.
'Secarse' is the reflexive verb for drying oneself.
Puedes limpiarte el cuello ahora.
You can wipe your neck now.
'Limpiarse' is used here for wiping or cleaning a specific area.
Me agarro la nariz porque me pica.
I'm holding my nose because it tickles.
'Picar' is used for both itching and tickling sensations.
¿Me cepillo el pelo otra vez?
Shall I brush my hair again?
Phrasing it as a question implies 'shall I'.
Te secas el pelo tú solito.
You're drying your hair all by yourself.
'Solito' is a common diminutive used with children to mean 'all by yourself'.
Hear these phrases and practise them
Tildi plays every phrase out loud, tests you in five-minute lessons and builds them into bedtime stories from your own picture books.
Try it free for 7 daysKey words
Cepillarse
To brush (oneself)
Used specifically with a brush (cepillo).
Peinarse
To comb (oneself)
Used generally for styling hair or specifically with a comb (peine).
Toalla
Towel
A feminine noun.
Pelo
Hair
In many regions, 'cabello' is also used, but 'pelo' is very common for children.
Reflexive Pronouns + Body Parts
In Spanish, we don't say 'I wash my hair' using 'mi'. Instead, we use a reflexive pronoun to show who is receiving the action, and the definite article (the) for the body part.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| First Person (I/Me) | Me + [verb] + el/la + [body part] | Me lavo la cara. |
| Second Person (You) | Te + [verb] + el/la + [body part] | Te cepillas el pelo. |
| With Infinitives | [verb] + [infinitive] + te | Tienes que lavarte las manos. |
More examples
¡Mira! Te peinas muy bien.
Look! You're combing your hair very well.
Praising the child's effort.
Me limpio las manos con la toalla.
I'm cleaning my hands with the towel.
Demonstrating the action.