muñeco de nieve
/muˌɲeko de ˈnjebe/masculine
The Spanish word for snowman is muñeco de nieve. Wiktionary also lists hombre nival and monigote níveo.
Meaning: figure made of snow (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| muñeco de nieve | /muˌɲeko de ˈnjebe/ | masculine |
| hombre nival | /ombɾe nibal/ (from spelling rules) | masculine |
| monigote níveo | /moniɡote nibeo/ (from spelling rules) | masculine |
The phrase refers to a figure made of snow.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase muñeco de nieve literally translates to 'doll of snow'.
Which one should you use?
Muñeco de nieve is the standard, everyday way to say 'snowman'. In contrast, hombre nival is a highly formal or literary way to say 'snowman' and is rarely used in conversation.
How does it change in a sentence?
All listed forms are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/muˌɲeko de ˈnjebe/
Did you know?
- The word hombre comes from the Proto-Indo-European word ǵʰmṓ, which originally meant 'earthling'.
- Spanish uses the word muñeco for both a snowman and a dummy or mannequin used in storefronts.
- While muñeco de nieve is common, the word monigote can be used to describe a snowman, though it often carries a sense of a 'scrawny' or 'clumsy' figure.
Examples in context
- Hice un muñeco de nieve.I made a snowman.This sentence shows how to say 'I made a snowman' using muñeco de nieve.Tatoeba #2517387 by marcelostockle, translation #3820744 by CK
- ¿Quién hizo el muñeco de nieve?Who built the snowman?This sentence asks who built the muñeco de nieve.Tatoeba #729420 by Shishir, translation #272555 by CK
- ¿Quieres hacer un muñeco de nieve?Do you want to make a snowman?This sentence asks if someone wants to make a muñeco de nieve.Tatoeba #6538784 by Mica94, translation #5663362 by Hybrid
- ¡Mira el muñeco de nieve que hicimos en el jardín!Look at the snowman we made in the garden!
- 13 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Javier are playing outside in the snow.
- MaríaMira ese muñeco de nieve tan grande.Look at that very large snowman.
- JavierEs muy bonito, María.It is very pretty, María.
- María¿Le ponemos una bufanda al muñeco de nieve?Should we put a scarf on the snowman?
- JavierSí, será un muñeco de nieve muy elegante.Yes, it will be a very elegant snowman.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “snowman” translations and entries muñeco 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.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, hombre, monigote, muñeco, nieve, níveo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
