hielo
/ˈʝelo/masculine
The Spanish word for ice is hielo. Wiktionary also lists del agua su duro.
Meaning: water in frozen form (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| hielo | /ˈʝelo/ | masculine |
| del agua su duro | /del aɡwa su duɾo/ (from spelling rules) | feminine |
Hielo is used to refer to water in its frozen form, whether it is natural ice found in a glacier or commercial ice used for drinks. Relatedly, you can use congelar to mean the verb to freeze. Note that the acronym ICE refers to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Hielo is a masculine noun, so you must use the masculine article el (the ice) rather than la.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈʝelo/
Did you know?
- The word agua is grammatically feminine, but it uses the masculine article el in the singular to avoid a clashing sound.
- The word hielo begins with a silent 'h', which is a remnant of the Latin 'f' sound that disappeared in early Spanish.
- In Spanish, the word hielo is used in the phrase romper el hielo to mean 'breaking the ice' when starting a conversation.
Examples in context
- El hielo es sólido.Ice is solid.This sentence is useful for describing the physical state of hielo.Tatoeba #1066481 by Shishir, translation #682043 by Source_VOA
- Ve a comprar hielo.Go buy some ice.This sentence is useful for an instruction to acquire hielo.Tatoeba #6626465 by clerval, translation #6626418 by Eccles17
- El hielo se derritió.The ice melted.This sentence is useful for describing the melting of hielo.Tatoeba #795643 by Shishir, translation #415449 by CM
- Me gustaría un vaso de agua con hielo, por favor.I would like a glass of water with ice, please.
- Las aceras están peligrosamente heladas hoy.The sidewalks are dangerously icy today.
- ¿Me podrías traer un poco de hielo para mi bebida?Could you bring me some ice for my drink?
- Se resbaló en el hielo y se cayó.He slipped on the ice and fell.
- 124 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and Lucía are in the kitchen on a hot day.
- Javier¿Tienes un poco de hielo?Do you have some ice?
- LucíaSí, hay mucho en el congelador.Yes, there is plenty in the freezer.
- JavierPerfecto, mi refresco necesita hielo.Perfect, my soda needs ice.
- LucíaAquí tienes un vaso con hielo.Here you go, a glass with ice.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ice” translations and entries hielo, 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.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
