helado
/eˈlado/
The English word 'iced' is translated into Spanish as helado.
helado is an adjective used to describe a drink or food that has ice added to it.
Meaning: with ice added (adj)
Which one should you use?
Be aware of ambiguity: in many contexts, helado can mean both 'iced' and 'ice cream'. You must rely on the surrounding context to distinguish whether the speaker is referring to a cold beverage or the frozen dairy dessert.
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, helado must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. Use the feminine form helada for feminine nouns, such as limonada helada and the masculine plural form helados for multiple masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/eˈlado/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, if you want an 'iced coffee', you would say 'café con hielo' rather than 'café helado'. Using 'helado' might suggest you want the coffee itself to be a frozen, slushy-like consistency.
- While helado means 'frozen', the word helada is also used as a noun to describe a sudden frost or a freeze that kills crops in agriculture.
- The word helado shares its roots with the English word 'gelid', which describes something extremely cold or icy.
Examples in context
- ¿Quieres tu té caliente o helado?Do you want the tea hot or iced?This sentence is useful for practicing the contrast between hot and iced drinks using helado.Tatoeba #1102869 by pilaf, translation #470053 by FeuDRenais
- Me gustaría un café helado, por favor.I would like an iced coffee, please.
- Quisiera tomar un café frío, por favor.I would like to have a cold coffee, please.
- Oye, ¿me traes un café helado, por favor?Hey, can you get me an iced coffee, please?
- Prefiero el café helado en verano.I prefer iced coffee in summer.
- El té helado está muy rico.The iced tea is very tasty.
Example conversation
Ordering drinks at a cafe.
- Lucía¿Qué quieres beber, Alejandro?What do you want to drink, Alejandro?
- AlejandroQuiero un jugo de naranja helado.I want an iced orange juice.
- LucíaYo también pediré el mío helado.I will order mine iced too.
- AlejandroPerfecto, vamos a pedir.Perfect, let's order.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry helado, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries helado, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
