hielera
/ʝeˈleɾa/feminine
The Spanish word for cooler is hielera. Wiktionary also lists conservadora térmica and heladerita.
Meaning: insulated bin or box to keep food cold while picnicking or camping (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| hielera | /ʝeˈleɾa/ | feminine |
| conservadora térmica | /konseɾbadoɾa teɾmika/ (from spelling rules) | feminine |
| heladerita | /eladeɾita/ (from spelling rules) | feminine |
| cúler | /kuleɾ/ (from spelling rules) | masculine |
The term refers to an insulated bin or box to keep food cold while picnicking or camping.
What does it mean word for word?
The word hielera is derived from hielo (ice), literally meaning an ice box or ice-related container.
Which one should you use?
While hielera refers to a portable insulated bin, heladera (common in the Southern Cone) refers to a household refrigerator.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico and parts of Central America, hielera is the standard way to refer to a cooler. In Spain, bolsa térmica is a term for cooler used in Spain.
How does it change in a sentence?
The forms hielera, conservadora térmica and heladerita are feminine nouns, whereas cúler is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʝeˈleɾa/
Did you know?
- The word hielera originates from hielo, which traces back to the Proto-Indo-European root *-yósder.
- The suffix -era in hielera is a productive tool in Spanish used to create many container words, such as salera for a salt shaker and azucarera for a sugar bowl.
- In many parts of Latin America, adding the diminutive suffix -ita to the word for a cooler results in heladerita, which sounds more affectionate or small-scale.
Examples in context
- La comida debe ser almacenada en el refrigerador para mantenerla frescaThe food must be stored in the cooler to keep it fresh.
- No olvides traer la hielera con las bebidas para la playaDon't forget to bring the cooler with the drinks to the beach.
- Puedes colocar las frutas en la conservadora para que se mantengan frescasYou can place the fruits in the cooler to keep them fresh.
- La bolsa térmica es esencial para mantener frescos los productos perecederosThe cooler bag is essential for keeping perishable products fresh.
- Pon las bebidas en la hielera.Put the drinks in the cooler.
- La hielera está llena de hielo.The cooler is full of ice.
- ¿Dónde dejaste la hielera azul?Where did you leave the blue cooler?
Example conversation
Alejandro and Sofía are preparing for a trip to the beach.
- Alejandro¿Trajiste la hielera para el viaje?Did you bring the cooler for the trip?
- SofíaSí, la tengo en el coche.Yes, I have it in the car.
- AlejandroPerfecto, guarda la fruta ahí.Perfect, store the fruit in there.
- SofíaEstá bien, lo haré ahora.Okay, I will do it now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cooler” translations and entries hielera, 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.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hielera, térmica, CC BY-SA 4.0.
