Weather in Spanish
Weather is one of the easiest topics to start a conversation. Spanish uses hacer for many weather expressions, and a few special verbs for rain and snow. Learn these patterns and you can talk about the weather anywhere.
Quick answer
- Use hace for most weather: Hace calor. Hace frío. Hace sol.
- Verbs for rain and snow: Llueve. Nieva.
- Use está for sky conditions: Está nublado. Está despejado.
Hace + noun
Use hace with a noun to describe most weather. Note that it does not change for the subject: it is always hace. Use mucho for “very.”
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Hace calor. | It is hot. |
| Hace frío. | It is cold. |
| Hace sol. | It is sunny. |
| Hace viento. | It is windy. |
| Hace buen tiempo. | The weather is nice. |
| Hace mal tiempo. | The weather is bad. |
Examples
- Hoy hace mucho calor.It is very hot today.Mucho, not muy.
- En invierno hace frío.In winter it is cold.Hace frío.
- Mañana va a hacer buen tiempo.Tomorrow the weather will be nice.Future.
Rain, snow, and storms
Rain and snow use their own verbs: llover (llueve) and nevar (nieva). Both change the stem. For progress, use está lloviendo or está nevando.
Examples
- Llueve mucho en septiembre.It rains a lot in September.Llover.
- Está lloviendo ahora.It is raining now.Progressive.
- En las montañas nieva en invierno.In the mountains it snows in winter.Nevar.
- Hay una tormenta.There is a storm.Hay.
Está + adjective
Use está plus an adjective for the sky and the day: está nublado (cloudy), está despejado (clear), está húmedo (humid).
Examples
- Hoy está nublado.It is cloudy today.Está nublado.
- El cielo está despejado.The sky is clear.Despejado.
- Está muy húmedo en la costa.It is very humid on the coast.Húmedo.
Seasons and questions
The seasons are la primavera, el verano, el otoño, and el invierno. To ask about the weather, say ¿Qué tiempo hace? or ¿Cómo está el clima?
Examples
- ¿Qué tiempo hace hoy?What is the weather like today?Common question.
- Mi estación favorita es el otoño.My favorite season is fall.Seasons.
- En primavera hace buen tiempo.In spring the weather is nice.Primavera.
Spanish around the world
- In Mexico, people often say clima for weather, and tiempo is also used. The word tiempo also means time, so context matters.
Common mistakes
Incorrect: Estoy calor.
Correct: Tengo calor.
For how you feel, use tener.
Incorrect: Es calor hoy.
Correct: Hace calor hoy.
Weather uses hacer.
Incorrect: Hace muy calor.
Correct: Hace mucho calor.
Calor is a noun, so use mucho.
Incorrect: Está lluvia.
Correct: Está lloviendo.
Use the gerund.
Remember the pattern
- Hace + noun: calor, frío, sol, viento.
- Llueve and nieva are their own verbs.
- Tengo calor is how you feel; hace calor is the weather.
Mini practice
5 quick questions. You get feedback right after each answer.
Frequently asked questions
How do I say ‘It’s hot’ and ‘I’m hot’?
Hace calor is the weather. Tengo calor is how you feel.
Is there a subject for llueve?
No. Weather verbs are used without a subject, as in English “it rains.”
What does ‘hace’ mean?
It is the third person of hacer, meaning “it does” or “it makes.” In weather expressions it means “it is.”
How do I say ‘It’s sunny’?
Hace sol or Está soleado.
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