aprīcus
The Latin word for sunny is aprīcus.
aprīcus is used to describe weather or a specific day that is sunny. It refers more specifically to something that is being warmed by or exposed to the sun's rays.
Meaning: weather, day (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The term aprīcus literally means exposed to the sun.
Which one should you use?
Use aprīcus to describe a sunny day or a sunny spot. However, if you want to say 'solar' or something that pertains to the sun itself, use solāris.
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, the form must agree with the gender of the noun it describes: use aprīca for feminine nouns and aprīcum for neuter nouns.
Did you know?
- In English, the word 'apricot' is believed by some etymologists to share a common root with 'aprīcus' because the fruit is said to ripen in the sun.
- If you were describing a 'sunny' person's personality, a Roman would likely use a different word than 'aprīcus', as this term is strictly physical.
- Because it implies basking, a Roman might use aprīcus to describe a specific stone or a patch of earth that remains warm after the sun has moved.
Examples in context
- Serenus dies est!It is a sunny day!
- Hodie dies aprīcus est.Today is a sunny day.
- Locus aprīcus est.The place is sunny.
Example conversation
Aurelia and Quintus are deciding whether to go outside.
- AureliaVide, dies aprīcus est!Look, it is a sunny day!
- QuintusIta, caelum est aprīcum.Yes, the sky is sunny.
- AureliaVisne in hortō ambulāre?Do you want to walk in the garden?
- QuintusIta, eāmus nunc.Yes, let's go now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sunny” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
