nieve cayendo
/njebe kaʝendo/from spelling rules
The English phrase "snow falling" can be translated into Spanish as nieve cayendo.
The phrase nieve cayendo describes the act of snow descending from the sky to the ground. Spanish speakers typically use the phrase está nevando to say "it is snowing" when describing the ongoing act of snow falling.
Which one should you use?
Spanish speakers prefer different constructions depending on the context. For example, use Nevada when referring to the concept of snowfall or snowy weather and use cae la nieve to describe the natural phenomenon of snow falling.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you want to describe the ongoing action of snow falling, it is more natural in Spanish to use a verb-subject construction like cae la nieve rather than the literal gerund phrase nieve cayendo.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Instead, use the impersonal form of the verb nevar, such as está nevando, to say "it is snowing".
Did you know?
- The Latin root of nieve, 'nivem', is also the source of the English word 'nivose', which refers to a specific period in the French Republican Calendar associated with snow.
- In Spanish, you cannot say yo nievo to mean 'I snow' because the verb nevar is weather-exclusive and cannot be conjugated for humans.
- While nieve cayendo is grammatically correct, using the construction cae la nieve is more common in poetry and literature to evoke a more dramatic or romantic image of winter.
Examples in context
- La nieve está cayendo con fuerzaThe snow is falling heavily
- ¡Mira, está nevando! Quiero hacer un muñeco de nieveLook, it's snowing! I want to make a snowman
- No te preocupes por manejar, la nieve que cae no es intensaDon't worry about driving, the snow falling is not heavy
- Me gusta ver la nieve cayendo.I like watching the snow falling.
Example conversation
Alejandro and María are looking out the window.
- AlejandroMira, María, hay nieve cayendo.Look, María, there is snow falling.
- María¡Qué hermoso se ve todo!Everything looks so beautiful!
- Alejandro¿Quieres salir a caminar un poco?Do you want to go for a short walk?
- MaríaSí, vamos antes de que pare.Yes, let's go before it stops.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
