frío y caliente
/fɾio i kaljente/from spelling rules
The English phrase "hot and cold" is translated into Spanish as frío y caliente.
This phrase refers to the two opposite temperatures of heat and cold. However, these words can have metaphorical meanings when referring to people. frío can be used metaphorically to describe someone distant or cold-hearted, while caliente can also mean 'sultry' or 'sexy' when used in reference to a person. Additionally, helado/a can imply emotional detachment in certain contexts and caluroso/a can also refer to an enthusiastic or passionate person.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In parts of South America, one may use ardiente to refer to extreme heat. In various Latin American countries, fresco/a can be used instead of frío to describe a refreshing cold sensation.
How does it change in a sentence?
If the nouns being described are feminine, the word for cold changes from frío to fría. If the nouns being described are masculine and plural, both adjectives must take the plural endings -os, resulting in fríos y calientes.
Did you know?
- The English word 'fridge' is actually a distant linguistic relative of the Spanish word frío, as both trace back to the same Proto-Indo-European roots.
Examples in context
- El café está caliente.The coffee is hot.
- Hace un día muy caluroso.It's a very hot day.
- Está helado.It's freezing.
- Hace mucho calor hoy.It's very hot today.
- Tengo mucho frío.I'm very cold.
- Hoy hace 35 grados Celsius.Today it's 35 degrees Celsius.
- Ayer hizo 90 grados Fahrenheit.Yesterday it was 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
Example conversation
Elena and Javier are adjusting the shower temperature.
- ElenaEl agua sale fría y caliente a la vez.The water is coming out cold and hot at once.
- JavierEspera, voy a ajustarlo, Elena.Wait, I am going to adjust it, Elena.
- ElenaAhora está perfecto, Javier.Now it is perfect, Javier.
- JavierQué bueno que ya no está frío y caliente.It's good that it is no longer cold and hot.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries caliente, frío, y, CC BY-SA 4.0.
