poco hielo
/poko jelo/from spelling rules
The phrase "light ice" in Spanish is translated as poco hielo.
You can use this phrase when ordering a drink to specify that you want a small amount of ice rather than a full serving.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of poco, meaning little or few and hielo, meaning ice.
Did you know?
- In many Latin American fast-food chains, staff may use the English word 'light' instead of poco to describe the amount of ice.
- The word hielo comes from the Latin gelū, making it a linguistic cousin to the English word 'gel'.
- Beyond drinks, the word hielo is often used metaphorically in Spanish to describe someone with a 'cold' or emotionally distant personality.
Examples in context
- Poco hielo, por favor.Little ice, please.
- Con menos hielo, por favor.With less ice, please.
- Un café con poco hielo, por favor.An iced coffee with light ice, please.
- Quiero mi café con poco hielo, por favor.I want my coffee with little ice, please.
- Ponle poco hielo al té helado.Put a little ice in the iced tea.
- Prefiero el jugo con poco hielo.I prefer the juice with a little ice.
Example conversation
Ordering drinks at a cafe.
- MaríaHola, ¿qué quieres beber, Daniel?Hi, what do you want to drink, Daniel?
- DanielUn café helado con poco hielo.An iced coffee with light ice.
- MaríaPerfecto, yo pediré lo mismo.Perfect, I will order the same.
- DanielGracias, María.Thanks, María.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hielo, poco, CC BY-SA 4.0.
