bola de nieve
/bola de njebe/from spelling rulesfeminine
The English phrase snowball is translated into Spanish as bola de nieve. Wiktionary also lists bola nival and bola nívea.
Meaning: ball of snow (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| bola de nieve | /bola de njebe/ (from spelling rules) | feminine |
| bola nival | /bola nibal/ (from spelling rules) | feminine |
| bola nívea | /bola nibea/ (from spelling rules) | feminine |
bola de nieve is used to refer to a ball made of snow.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase bola de nieve is a literal construction where bola means ball and de nieve means of snow.
Which one should you use?
bola de nieve is the standard, everyday way to say snowball. In contrast, bola nival or bola nívea are highly literary or poetic and would sound unnatural in conversation.
Did you know?
- In Spanish, bola is used in the idiomatic expression estarse haciendo bolas, which means to get confused or tangled up. It describes a situation that has become as messy and indistinguishable as a clump of snow or yarn.
- The word nieve is used in Spanish to describe both frozen water and a specific type of dessert, like nieve de limón. In Mexico, a nieve is a traditional fruit-flavored sorbet or ice pop.
- Spanish has a specific word for the act of throwing a bola de nieve, called bolazo. Adding the suffix -azo often denotes a heavy blow or a hit, turning the object into the action of being hit by it.
Examples in context
- La bola de nieve es redonda y fríaThe snowball is round and cold
- Vamos a lanzarnos bolitas de nieveLet's throw snowballs at each other
- El niño hizo una pelota de nieve giganteThe child made a giant snowball
- ¡Me lanzó una bola de nieve!He threw a snowball at me!
- La bola de nieve es muy grande.The snowball is very big.
- Él lanzó una bola de nieve.He threw a snowball.
- Ten cuidado con esa bola de nieve.Watch out for that snowball.
Example conversation
Two friends are playing outside in the snow.
- Javier¿Quieres jugar con esta bola de nieve?Do you want to play with this snowball?
- LucíaSí, pero no me lances una muy fuerte.Yes, but don't throw one too hard at me.
- JavierEstá bien, Lucía, seré delicado.All right, Lucía, I will be gentle.
- Lucía¡Mira, Javier, hice una bola de nieve perfecta!Look, Javier, I made a perfect snowball!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “snowball” translations and entries bola de nieve, 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.
