Learning to talk about the weather is one of the most practical and essential skills for any Spanish learner. Whether you’re making small talk, planning activities, or preparing for the DELE A1 exam, mastering Spanish weather and seasons vocabulary (el tiempo y las estaciones) will help you communicate confidently in everyday situations. This comprehensive guide will teach you all the essential terms, phrases, and grammar rules you need to know, complete with practical examples and an interactive quiz to test your knowledge.
Prefer to find out what you already know first? Take our interactive Spanish Weather & Seasons Quiz to test your knowledge and identify what to focus on.”Why Weather Vocabulary Matters in Spanish
Weather talk is more than just simple small talk in Spanish-speaking countries—it’s a fundamental part of daily conversation and cultural exchange. From checking the forecast to planning outdoor activities or simply breaking the ice with new acquaintances, weather vocabulary is incredibly practical .
For DELE A1 exam candidates, weather and seasons represent a core component of the curriculum. The Instituto Cervantes specifically includes these topics in their A1 level requirements, meaning you’ll likely encounter them in listening, reading, and speaking sections of the exam.
Beyond exams, this vocabulary helps you:
- Make plans with Spanish-speaking friends
- Understand weather warnings and forecasts
- Describe your experiences and preferences
- Navigate travel situations more effectively
- Engage in basic conversations with native speakers
The Four Seasons (Las Cuatro Estaciones)
First, let’s learn the fundamental vocabulary for the four seasons in Spanish. Unlike English, seasons are typically written in lowercase in Spanish unless they appear at the beginning of a sentence .
| Spanish | English | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| la primavera | spring | En la primavera las flores crecen. (In spring, flowers grow.) |
| el verano | summer | El verano es mi estación favorita porque hace sol. (Summer is my favorite season because it’s sunny.) |
| el otoño | autumn/fall | En el otoño las hojas cambian de color. (In autumn, leaves change color.) |
| el invierno | winter | El invierno es frío y nieva mucho. (Winter is cold and it snows a lot.) |
Key Grammar Note:
When talking about activities during seasons, we use different prepositions:
- en + season: En verano (in summer)
- durante + season: Durante el invierno (during winter)
- en + article + season: En el otoño (in the autumn) – common in some regions
Essential Weather Vocabulary (Vocabulario del Tiempo)
Now let’s explore the core vocabulary for describing weather conditions in Spanish. This includes nouns, adjectives, and verbs that you’ll use frequently in conversation .
Basic Weather Conditions
| Spanish | English | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Hace sol | It’s sunny | Hace sol hoy, vamos a la playa. (It’s sunny today, let’s go to the beach.) |
| Está nublado | It’s cloudy | Está nublado, quizás lloverá después. (It’s cloudy, maybe it will rain later.) |
| Llueve / Está lloviendo | It’s raining | Llueve mucho en abril. (It rains a lot in April.) |
| Nieva / Está nevando | It’s snowing | Nieva en las montañas. (It’s snowing in the mountains.) |
| Hay viento | It’s windy | Hay mucho viento hoy, ten cuidado. (It’s very windy today, be careful.) |
| Hay niebla | It’s foggy | Hay niebla en la carretera, conduce despacio. (There’s fog on the road, drive slowly.) |
| Hay tormenta | It’s stormy | Hay tormenta con truenos y relámpagos. (There’s a storm with thunder and lightning.) |
Temperature Vocabulary
Being able to describe temperature is crucial for talking about weather .
| Spanish | English | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| hace calor | It’s hot | Hace calor en el desierto. (It’s hot in the desert.) |
| hace frío | It’s cold | Hace frío en el invierno. (It’s cold in winter.) |
| hace fresco | It’s cool | Hace fresco por las mañanas de otoño. (It’s cool during autumn mornings.) |
| está templado | It’s mild | Está templado hoy, ni frío ni calor. (It’s mild today, neither cold nor hot.) |
Extreme Weather Phenomena
For more dramatic weather conditions, you’ll need these terms :
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| el huracán | hurricane |
| el tornado | tornado |
| la tormenta eléctrica | thunderstorm |
| la ventisca / la nevasca | blizzard |
| la sequía | drought |
| la inundación | flood |
Grammar Structures for Talking About Weather
Spanish uses specific grammatical structures for describing weather that differ from English. Understanding these patterns will help you form correct sentences naturally .
Using “Hacer” for Weather Expressions
The verb hacer (to do/make) is used in many impersonal weather expressions:
- Hace + noun: Hace sol (It’s sunny), Hace viento (It’s windy)
- Hace + adjective: Hace calor (It’s hot), Hace frío (It’s cold)
These expressions are always in the third person singular form (“hace”) regardless of the weather condition being described.
Using “Estar” for Temporary Conditions
The verb estar is used for temporary weather conditions, often in its gerund form:
- Está + adjective: Está nublado (It’s cloudy), Está despejado (It’s clear)
- Está + gerund: Está lloviendo (It’s raining), Está nevando (It’s snowing)
Using “Hay” for Existence of Weather Phenomena
The verb hay (there is/there are) is used for weather phenomena that “exist” in the environment:
- Hay + noun: Hay niebla (There’s fog), Hay humedad (There’s humidity)
- Hay + much/many + noun: Hay mucho viento (There’s a lot of wind)
Regional Variations in Weather Vocabulary
Just like English, Spanish has regional variations in weather terminology. What’s used in Spain might differ from Latin American usage .
Regional Terminology Differences
| Concept | Spain | Mexico | Argentina |
|---|---|---|---|
| It’s raining | Está lloviendo | Está lloviendo | Está lloviendo |
| It’s very hot | Hace mucho calor | Hace mucho calor | Hace un calor terrible |
| Drizzle | llovizna | chipi chipi | llovizna |
| Puddle | charco | charco | pozo |
These regional differences are important to recognize, though for DELE A1 purposes, the standard forms will be sufficient.
Practical Applications: Weather in Daily Conversation
Now let’s see how weather vocabulary works in practical, everyday contexts .
Making Small Talk
Weather is the most common small talk topic in Spanish-speaking countries:
- ¿Qué tiempo hace hoy? (What’s the weather like today?)
- Hace buen día, ¿verdad? (It’s a nice day, isn’t it?)
- Parece que va a llover. (It looks like it’s going to rain.)
- ¡Qué frío/hace calor! (How cold/it’s hot!)
Planning Activities
Weather vocabulary is essential for making plans:
- Si hace buen tiempo, iremos al parque. (If the weather is good, we’ll go to the park.)
- Como está lloviendo, mejor vamos al cine. (Since it’s raining, we’d better go to the movies.)
- ¿Crees que nevará este fin de semana? (Do you think it will snow this weekend?)
Understanding Weather Forecasts
Being able to understand weather reports is incredibly practical:
- La temperatura máxima será de 25 grados. (The maximum temperature will be 25 degrees.)
- Hay un 80% de probabilidad de precipitaciones. (There’s an 80% chance of precipitation.)
- Alerta meteorológica por vientos fuertes. (Weather alert for strong winds.)
Common Mistakes to Avoid
When learning weather vocabulary, students often make these common errors:
- Confusing “hace” and “estar”: Remember that “hace” is used with nouns (hace sol) and “estar” with adjectives (está nublado).
- Misusing articles: Seasons typically don’t use articles after “en” (en verano, not en el verano).
- Literal translations: Avoid translating English phrases directly. “It’s raining cats and dogs” becomes “Llueve a cántaros” in Spanish.
- Gender agreement: Adjectives must agree with the nouns they describe: “El día está nublado” (masc) vs. “La noche está nublada” (fem).
Cultural Aspects of Weather Talk
In Spanish-speaking cultures, weather conversation serves important social functions:
- Icebreaker: Weather talk is a safe, neutral topic to start conversations.
- Showing concern: Asking about weather conditions after natural disasters shows empathy.
- Agricultural significance: In rural areas, weather discussions often relate to farming concerns.
- Festival planning: Many cultural festivals are tied to seasonal weather patterns.
Practice Tips for Mastery
Here are effective strategies for mastering weather vocabulary:
- Daily weather journal: Write a sentence about the weather each day in Spanish.
- Weather app switch: Change your weather app to Spanish language settings.
- Forecast listening: Watch Spanish-language weather forecasts online.
- Flashcards: Create flashcards with images representing weather terms.
- Role-playing: Practice weather-related conversations with a study partner.
Resources for Further Learning
Expand your weather vocabulary with these resources:
- Spanish-language weather websites: Try ElTiempo.es or SMN (Argentina’s meteorological service)
- Weather podcasts in Spanish: Search for “pronóstico del tiempo” podcasts
- Children’s books about seasons: These often have simple, clear vocabulary
- Spanish learning apps: Many include weather-themed lessons
- Music: Find songs about seasons and weather (like “Las Cuatro Estaciones”)
