hace frío
/aθe fɾio/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "it is cold" is expressed as hace frío.
The phrase hace frío is used to describe the ambient temperature of the environment. If you want to say that the weather is just mildly cool, you can use hace fresco.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase hace frío literally translates to "it makes cold" because Spanish uses the verb hacer (to make/do) to express weather conditions.
Which one should you use?
It is important to distinguish between the environment and a person's physical sensation: hace frío describes the ambient temperature, whereas tengo frío is used to say that a person feels cold.
How do you pronounce it?
/aθe fɾio/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use es frío when describing the weather. Instead, you should use hace frío.
Did you know?
- If you say soy frío instead of tengo frío, you are not saying you are cold, but rather that you are a cold person, perhaps emotionally distant or unfriendly.
- The word frío is a distant relative of the English words 'fridge' and 'refrigerator'.
- Depending on the region, people might say está haciendo frío to emphasize that it is cold right at this very moment.
Examples in context
- Hoy sí que hace frío.Today it is cold.This sentence is useful for emphasizing that it is indeed cold today.Tatoeba #7589372 by arh, translation #3074086 by faehrmann
- Abrígate, hace frío allá afuera.Wrap yourself warm, it is cold out there.This sentence is useful for advising someone to dress warmly because it is cold outside.Tatoeba #2170820 by marcelostockle, translation #1536205 by jorge855
- Hace frío afuera. Ponte tu abrigo.It is cold outdoors. Put on your coat.This sentence is useful for noting that it is cold outdoors and suggesting someone put on a coat.Tatoeba #1436151 by marcelostockle, translation #21997 by CM
- Hoy hace frío en la oficina.It is cold in the office today.
- Me parece que hace frío afuera.It seems cold outside to me.
- Salgamos rápido del parque, hace un frío que pela.Let's leave the park quickly, it is freezing.
- ¡Hace un frío que pela aquí!It is freezing here!
- No vayas afuera sin abrigo, está helado.Don't go outside without a coat, it is freezing.
- ¡El agua de la piscina está helada!The pool water is freezing!
- Es mejor que te abrigues, hace mucho frío afuera.You should dress warmly, it is very cold outside.
- No hace mucho frío, solo hace fresco.It's not very cold, it is just cool.
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple is preparing to go for a walk in the evening.
- SofíaMira por la ventana, hace frío.Look through the window, it is cold.
- AlejandroTienes razón, Sofía. Llevaré mi chaqueta.You are right, Sofía. I will take my jacket.
- Sofía¿Crees que hace frío en la montaña?Do you think it is cold in the mountains?
- AlejandroSí, allí hace mucho frío.Yes, it is very cold there.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries frío, hace, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
