sequía
/seˈkia/feminine
The Spanish word for drought is sequía.
sequía refers to a period of unusually low rainfall. While sequía is the standard term for a lack of rain, the word estiaje is used more formally to describe a prolonged period of low water levels specifically in rivers, lakes or reservoirs.
Meaning: period of unusually low rain fall (noun)
Which one should you use?
sequía is the general term for a drought, whereas estiaje is a formal term specifically for low water levels in bodies of water like rivers and lakes.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word sequía is a feminine noun. To express the plural form, droughts, use sequías.
How do you pronounce it?
/seˈkia/
Did you know?
- The root of the word, seco, can be used figuratively in the idiom quedarse seco to mean that someone has completely run out of money.
- In certain parts of Spain, a sequía can actually trigger specific, ancient legal protocols regarding how farmers share irrigation water.
- The word sequía is derived from the Latin word siccus, meaning 'dry'. This same Latin root gave English the word 'desiccate', which means to remove all moisture from something.
Examples in context
- Murió de sed durante la sequía.She died of thirst during the drought.This sentence shows how to use sequía when discussing someone dying of thirst.Tatoeba #1243039 by hayastan, translation #1346592 by marcelostockle
- Si no llueve ahora, habrá sequía.If it doesn't rain now, there'll be a drought.This sentence illustrates how to use sequía when predicting a drought based on a lack of rain.Tatoeba #8600136 by arh, translation #9189995 by DJ_Saidez
- Padecimos una sequía muy prolongada.We suffered a very prolonged drought.This sentence demonstrates the use of sequía when describing a prolonged period of drought.Tatoeba #8790297 by arh, translation #10333146 by LimeGreenTeknii
- El país atraviesa una sequía severa que afecta a la agricultura y a la vida cotidiana de la población.The country is going through a severe drought that affects agriculture and the daily life of the population.
- Durante el estío, la sequía se intensifica en todo el departamento.During the summer, the drought intensifies throughout the department.
- 15 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Daniel are talking about the dry garden.
- LucíaLa sequía está matando las plantas.The drought is killing the plants.
- DanielEs verdad, el suelo está muy seco.It's true, the soil is very dry.
- LucíaNecesitamos que llueva pronto.We need it to rain soon.
- DanielOjalá termine esta sequía pronto.I hope this drought ends soon.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “drought” translations and entries sequía, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sequía, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
