Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| granizo | /ɡɾaˈniθo/ /ɡɾaˈniso/ |
masculine |
| pedrisco | /peˈdɾisko/ | masculine |
| cascarrina | /kaskarina/ (from spelling rules) | colloquial, feminine |
| pedrisquero | /pedɾiskeɾo/ (from spelling rules) | masculine |
The term refers to balls of ice. When you want to describe the action of hail falling, you can use the verb granizar or the colloquial verb cascarrinar.
Which one should you use?
While granizo refers to hail in general, pedrisco specifically refers to small, pebble-sized hail. If you use the verb llamar or señalar, you are using a different sense of 'to hail' meaning to call out loudly in order to gain the attention of.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Cascarrina is a colloquial, informal way to refer to it.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The term cascarrina is used in certain Spanish-speaking regions to describe hail.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To describe the weather event of hail falling, use the impersonal verb granizar (e.g., está granizando).
How do you pronounce it?
The IPA for granizo is /ɡɾaˈniθo/. In many parts of Spain, the 'z' in granizo is pronounced as a soft 'th' sound (/ɡɾaˈniθo/).
Did you know?
- The word granizo is etymologically linked to the word 'grain', sharing a root with the word grano. It essentially describes ice that falls like tiny grains of cereal.
- The word granizo shares a common ancestor with the Italian word grandine and the Occitan granissa. These languages all evolved from similar Vulgar Latin roots for ice balls.
- Spanish distinguishes between granizo and pedrisco based on size and texture. This allows a speaker to specify if the ice is grain-like or stone-like.
Examples in context
- ¿Cómo se forma el granizo?How does hail form?This sentence asks how hail is formed.Tatoeba #6092769 by albrusgher, translation #5757635 by CM
- El granizo dañó los cultivos.The hail harmed the crops.This sentence describes how granizo harmed crops.Tatoeba #6092770 by albrusgher, translation #34633 by CK
- ¿Alguna vez has visto granizo?Have you ever seen it hail?This sentence asks if someone has ever seen granizo.Tatoeba #4788244 by cueyayotl, translation #326657 by CK
- ¡Cuidado! ¡Está cayendo granizo!Caution! Hail is falling!
- ¡Mira, está cayendo pedrisco!Look, it's hailing (small hail)!
- ¡Cuidado! ¡Está cayendo granizo fuerte!Caution! Strong hail is falling!
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Javier are looking out the window at a storm.
- Sofía¡Mira, está cayendo mucho granizo!Look, there is a lot of hail falling!
- JavierEs verdad, el granizo es muy grande.It's true, the hail is very large.
- SofíaEspero que el granizo no rompa las ventanas.I hope the hail doesn't break the windows.
- JavierNo te preocupes, Sofía, las ventanas son fuertes.Don't worry, Sofía, the windows are strong.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hail” translations and entries granizo, pedrisco, 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 granizo, pedrisco, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
