cambio climático
/kambjo klimatiko/from spelling rulesmasculine
The English phrase "climate change" is translated into Spanish as cambio climático.
cambio climático is used to describe changes in the Earth's climate. While the formal term calentamiento global specifically refers to global warming, it is often used interchangeably with climate change.
Meaning: changes in the Earth's climate (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, the expression el cambio climático is the most common and preferred way to refer to this topic.
How does it change in a sentence?
Since cambio is a masculine noun, you must use the masculine definite article el (as in el cambio climático) instead of the feminine la. If you wish to express the plural "climate changes", you must pluralize both the noun and the adjective to cambios climáticos.
Did you know?
- Spanish uses the word clima to describe not just the weather, but also the 'atmosphere' or 'mood' of a social situation, such as un clima de tensión.
- The word cambio can also mean 'change' in the sense of 'small change' or 'coins' in your pocket, such as when asking for cambio at a store.
- In Spanish, the word clima refers to the general long-term weather patterns of a region, whereas tiempo is used for the daily weather report.
Examples in context
- El cambio climático no es una patraña.Climate change is not a hoax.This sentence is useful for seeing how to negate the concept of climate change.Tatoeba #5921144 by albrusgher, translation #5615624 by Hybrid
- Mary viajó al futuro y descubrió que el cambio climático había destruido toda la vida sobre la Tierra.Mary traveled into the future and found that climate change had destroyed all life on Earth.This sentence shows how to use the phrase when describing the impact of climate change on life on Earth.Tatoeba #1388742 by marcelostockle, translation #1388740 by Spamster
- Nullis dice que el cambio climático ya está incrementando la frecuencia de los eventos climáticos extremos.Nullis says climate change already is increasing the frequency of extreme weather events.This sentence illustrates using the phrase in the context of extreme weather events.Tatoeba #10178468 by Seael, translation #10178001 by Hybrid
- El cambio climático es un desafío global que requiere acciones inmediatas y coordinadas por parte de los gobiernos y la sociedad.Climate change is a global challenge that requires immediate and coordinated actions from governments and society.
- 12 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Alejandro are discussing a news report in a coffee shop.
- SofíaEl cambio climático es un problema muy serio.Climate change is a very serious problem.
- AlejandroSí, debemos proteger nuestro planeta.Yes, we must protect our planet.
- Sofía¿Qué podemos hacer para ayudar?What can we do to help?
- AlejandroPodemos reciclar más y usar menos plástico.We can recycle more and use less plastic.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “climate change” translations and entries cambio climático, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
