rocío
/roˈθio/masculine
The English word 'dew' can be translated into Spanish using several terms, most commonly rocío. Wiktionary also lists sereno and relente.
Meaning: moisture in the air that settles on plants, etc (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| rocío | /roˈθio/ /roˈsio/ |
masculine |
| sereno | /seˈɾeno/ | masculine |
| relente | /reˈlente/ | masculine |
| roción | /roθjon/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /rosjon/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
masculine |
| recencellada | /reθenθeʝada/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /resenseʝada/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
feminine |
Spanish uses different words for dew depending on whether you are describing the physical water droplets or the sensation of moisture. rocío is the standard word used when talking about the physical droplets of water found on plants in the morning. relente refers specifically to the dampness or the cold, moist feeling left by the dew on surfaces or in the air.
Which one should you use?
rocío is the most common and neutral term for dew used in both scientific and everyday contexts. sereno is often used in a literary or poetic sense to refer to the dew or the coolness of the night air.
How do you pronounce it?
/roˈθio/
Did you know?
- In Spain and Latin America, Rocío is a common female given name. It often carries a spiritual connotation because of its association with the Virgin of El Rocío, a highly venerated figure in Andalusia.
- In some rural regions, the sereno is believed to cause illnesses if you are exposed to it after sweating. This is similar to the English concept of a 'night chill' but treated as a specific environmental entity.
- The word rocío shares a common ancestor with the Latin word rōs, meaning 'dew', which is also the root of the English word 'rosicrucian'.
Examples in context
- La escarcha es rocío helado.Frost is frozen dew.This sentence shows how to describe frost as frozen rocío.Tatoeba #549387 by Shishir, translation #274307 by espamatics
- Había algo de rocío esta mañana.There was some dew this morning.This sentence is useful for noting the presence of some rocío in the morning.Tatoeba #1671711 by wallebot, translation #1273518 by Scott
- El rocío se evaporó cuando el sol se elevó.The dew evaporated when the sun rose.This sentence describes the evaporation of the rocío when the sun rises.Tatoeba #5270775 by albrusgher, translation #326328 by CK
- El rocío de la mañana brilla en las hojas.The morning dew glistens on the leaves.
- Tenía el rocío de la mañana en su rostro.She had the morning dew on her face.
- Me encanta caminar por el campo y disfrutar del rocío mañanero.I love walking through the countryside and enjoying the morning dew.
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and Sofía are walking through a garden early in the morning.
- DanielEl rocío está mojando mis zapatos.The dew is wetting my shoes.
- SofíaEs verdad, Daniel, todo está muy húmedo.It's true, Daniel, everything is very damp.
- DanielMira cómo brillan las hojas con el rocío.Look how the leaves shine with the dew.
- SofíaEs un paisaje muy bonito.It is a very beautiful landscape.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dew” translations and entries rocío, sereno, relente, 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 rocío, sereno, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
