How to Say “Cold” in Spanish

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frío
/ˈfɾio/
In Spanish, the word for cold is frío.
The word frío is an adjective used to describe having a low temperature. For more specific contexts, you can use frígido to mean very cold or gélido to mean icy cold. If you want to describe someone who feels the sensation of cold very easily, use the term friolento. While frío is the standard term, you might see temperatura baja used in weather reports or formal discussions to mean low temperature.
Meaning: having a low temperature (adj)

Which one should you use?

The adjective frío must be used in conjunction with specific verbs depending on what you are describing. To describe the sensation of a person feeling cold, use the verb tener (to have) in the phrase tener frío (to feel cold).

Is it said differently in some regions?

In some regions, the noun for low temperature can be expressed using the words rasca or biruji. Additionally, if you are referring to a cold or illness, you might use the terms resfriado, resfrío or constipación.

Related words

Illness (noun): resfriado, constipación, resfrío.

Low temperature (noun): frío, rasca, biruji.

How does it change in a sentence?

As an adjective, frío must agree in both gender and number with the noun it describes. It changes to fría for feminine singular nouns, fríos or frías if the noun is plural.

How do you pronounce it?

/ˈfɾio/

What mistakes should you avoid?

Avoid saying soy frío when you want to say you feel cold. In Spanish, soy frío means 'I am a cold/unemotional person'.

Did you know?

  • The word constipación refers to a physical illness like a common cold, which is a 'false friend' because in English it usually refers to digestive issues.
  • The Spanish word frío has a direct link to the English word 'fridge', as both share a common root related to being cold.

Examples in context

  • Hoy no hace frío.
    It is not cold today.
    This sentence is useful for stating that it is not cold today.
    Tatoeba #1923239 by marcelostockle, translation #1879757 by Asma
  • Sé que hace frío.
    I know it's cold.
    This sentence is useful for expressing that you know it is cold.
    Tatoeba #2412467 by marcelostockle, translation #2376042 by CK
  • Se ha puesto frío.
    It's got cold.
    This sentence is useful for saying that something has become cold.
    Tatoeba #1202423 by marcelostockle, translation #961725 by Eevee
  • La temperatura está baja hoy
    The temperature is low today.
  • En invierno hace mucho frío y el clima es riguroso
    In winter, it is very cold, and the climate is severe.
  • Hace fresco
    It's a bit chilly.
  • tengo los pies fríos
    My feet are cold
  • me duelen las manos de frío
    My hands hurt from the cold
  • En la montaña hace tanto frío que tengo los dedos entumecidos
    In the mountains, it's so cold that my fingers are numb.
  • 477 more sentences on Tatoeba

Example conversation

Javier and Elena are deciding what to drink.

  1. Javier

    Elena, ¿quieres el jugo frío?
    Elena, do you want the juice cold?
  2. Elena

    No, prefiero el jugo natural.
    No, I prefer the juice natural.
  3. Javier

    Está muy frío en la nevera.
    It is very cold in the fridge.
  4. Elena

    Está bien, dame un poco.
    That's fine, give me some.

Sources

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Lesley Stacey
Lesley StaceyHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.
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