copo de nieve
/ˌkopo de ˈnjebe/masculine
The English word snowflake is copo de nieve in Spanish. Wiktionary also lists ampo and copo nival / níveo.
Meaning: crystal (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| copo de nieve | /ˌkopo de ˈnjebe/ | masculine |
| ampo | /ˈampo/ | masculine |
| copo nival / níveo | masculine |
Copo de nieve is a common and widely used term for snowflake in Spanish.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase copo de nieve is composed of copo (flake/tuft) and de nieve (of snow).
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of 'copo de nieve' is 'copos de nieve', where only the noun 'copo' is pluralized.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌkopo de ˈnjebe/
Did you know?
- In mathematics, the word copo is used as a shorthand for conjunto parcialmente ordenado, which is the Spanish equivalent of a 'poset'.
- While copo de nieve refers to the crystal, the word copo alone is also used to describe a tuft of cotton or a flake of soap.
- Spanish poets often use nival or níveo instead of de nieve to evoke a sense of purity and elegance, as these terms are associated with high literature.
Examples in context
- Tom examinó a un copo de nieve a través de su microscopio.Tom looked at a snowflake through his microscope.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use copo de nieve in a sentence.Tatoeba #10683430 by DJ_Saidez, translation #3452361 by Hybrid
- Un copo de nieve cayó en mi mano.A snowflake fell on my hand.
- Mira ese hermoso copo de nieve.Look at that beautiful snowflake.
Example conversation
Sofía and Daniel are looking out the window at a winter storm.
- Sofía¡Mira, Daniel! Un copo de nieve en tu abrigo.Look, Daniel! A snowflake on your coat.
- DanielEs verdad, es un copo de nieve muy pequeño.It is true, it is a very small snowflake.
- SofíaLa nieve es tan blanca y pura.The snow is so white and pure.
- DanielSí, me encanta este clima.Yes, I love this weather.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “snowflake” translations and entries copo de nieve, ampo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries copo, de, nieve, níveo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
