Weather in Spanish
Weather is one of the most common conversation topics in any language, and Spanish has a unique system for talking about it. Instead of saying "it is hot," Spanish says "it makes heat" (hace calor). This guide covers the three key weather patterns — hace + noun, está + adjective, and hay + noun — plus all the vocabulary you need for sunshine, rain, and everything in between.
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Hace + Noun — General Conditions
The most common weather pattern in Spanish uses hacer (to make). These expressions describe the general feeling of the weather and are used for temperature and broad conditions.
To say "it is very hot," add mucho (not muy): "Hace mucho calor." This is because calor is a noun, not an adjective. You use mucho with hacer + noun, and muy with estar + adjective.
Está + Adjective & Hay + Noun
For describing the current state of the sky or noting weather phenomena that "exist," Spanish uses estar and hay.
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Weather Verbs — Verbos del Tiempo
Some weather conditions are expressed as verbs in Spanish. These are impersonal verbs — they are only conjugated in the third person singular.
Llover and nevar are stem-changing verbs (o→ue, e→ie): llover → llueve, nevar → nieva. This only affects the present tense. In the preterite, they are regular: llovió (it rained), nevó (it snowed).
Weather Small Talk
Weather is a perfect conversation opener. Here are phrases to get you started:
- ¿Qué tiempo hace hoy? — What's the weather like today?
- Parece que va a llover — It looks like it's going to rain
- ¡Qué calor tan terrible! — What terrible heat!
- El pronóstico dice que... — The forecast says that...
- Está lloviendo a cántaros — It's raining buckets (pouring)
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Spanish use "hace" for weather?
Hacer (to make/do) is the standard weather verb in Spanish. "Hace calor" literally means "it makes heat." This is an impersonal construction — there is no specific subject doing the action. You will use hace for temperature and general conditions, estar for current states, and hay for phenomena that "exist" (hay niebla = there is fog).
How do you ask "What is the weather like?" in Spanish?
The most common question is ¿Qué tiempo hace? (What weather does it make?) or ¿Cómo está el tiempo? (How is the weather?). Both are equally correct and widely used across all Spanish-speaking countries.
What is the difference between hace frío and está frío?
Hace frío means "it is cold" (the weather/temperature). Está frío means "it is cold" (a specific object or drink). Use hace for weather and general temperature, estar for the temperature of a specific thing.
Are weather expressions different in Spain vs Latin America?
The core expressions (hace calor, llueve, nieva) are universal. Some regional differences exist: in parts of Latin America, people say está haciendo frío instead of just hace frío. Seasonal vocabulary varies too, since Southern Hemisphere countries have opposite seasons.
How do you say "it is raining" in Spanish?
The standard way is Está lloviendo (it is raining, right now) or simply Llueve (it rains). For heavy rain, say Está lloviendo a cántaros (it is raining buckets) or Está diluviando (it is pouring).