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. Do not confuse it with helado, which refers specifically to ice cream.
Which one should you use?
hielo is the standard masculine noun for ice. The form del agua su duro is a feminine form provided in this context.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Because hielo is a masculine noun, you must use the masculine article el (as in el hielo) instead of the feminine la.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈʝelo/
Did you know?
- The word agua is a feminine noun, but it uses the masculine article el in the singular form el agua to avoid a clash of 'a' sounds.
- The Spanish word hielo is an etymological cousin to the English word 'gel', both tracing back to a common root meaning 'cold'.
- The word hielo begins with a silent 'h', which is a common trait for many Spanish words evolved from Latin where the initial consonant disappeared over time.
Examples in context
- El hielo es sólido.Ice is solid.This sentence is useful for noting that hielo is a solid substance.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 purchase hielo.Tatoeba #6626465 by clerval, translation #6626418 by Eccles17
- El hielo se derritió.The ice melted.This sentence is useful for describing the process of hielo melting.Tatoeba #795643 by Shishir, translation #415449 by CM
- ¿Me podría traer un vaso con hielo, por favor?Could you bring me a glass with ice, please?
- Vamos a la tienda de la esquina, quiero comprar helados y unos hielitos para la limonada.Let's go to the corner store, I want to buy some ice creams and ice cubes for the lemonade.
- 124 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and Lucía are in the kitchen preparing drinks.
- Javier¿Hay mucho hielo en el congelador?Is there much ice in the freezer?
- LucíaNo, solo queda un poco de hielo.No, there is only a little bit of ice left.
- JavierNecesito más hielo para la limonada.I need more ice for the lemonade.
- LucíaYo iré a la tienda por más.I will go to the store for more.
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.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries agua, del, duro, hielo, su, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
