¿cómo está el clima?
How to say "how is the weather?" in Spanish is ¿cómo está el clima?
The phrase ¿cómo está el clima? is used to ask about the current atmospheric conditions outside. You can respond to this question with adjectives such as soleado (sunny), lluvioso (rainy), nublado (cloudy), caluroso (hot) or frío (cold).
Which one should you use?
While ¿cómo está el clima? is grammatically correct, ¿qué tiempo hace? is a more natural and common way to ask about the weather in most Spanish-speaking regions.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the common phrase ¿qué tiempo hace?, the verb hace (from hacer, meaning to do or make) is used instead of estar (to be) to describe weather conditions.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful not to confuse el tiempo (which means weather in this context) with la hora (which refers to the time of day).
Did you know?
- The word clima originates from the Ancient Greek word κλῐ́μᾰ, which referred to a sloping region or zone rather than the temperature.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, talking about the weather is a standard social 'icebreaker' used to initiate conversations with strangers in elevators or waiting rooms.
- The Spanish word tiempo is a versatile term that can mean 'weather', 'time', or even 'tempo' in music.
Examples in context
- ¿Qué tal el clima hoy?How's the weather today?
- ¿Cómo anda el clima por ahí?How's the weather over there?
Example conversation
Javier and María are talking on the phone.
- JavierHola María, ¿cómo está el clima?Hi María, how is the weather?
- MaríaHola Javier, hace mucho sol.Hi Javier, it is very sunny.
- Javier¿Vas a ir al parque entonces?Are you going to the park then?
- MaríaSí, voy a salir ahora.Yes, I am going out now.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries clima, cómo, el, CC BY-SA 4.0.
