hiems
[ˈhi.ɛmps]feminine
The English word "winter" is translated into Latin as hiems. Wiktionary also lists hibernus.
Meaning: fourth season, marked by short days and the lowest temperatures (noun)
Ways to say it
| Latin | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| hiems | [ˈhi.ɛmps] (Classical Latin, narrow) [ˈiː.ems] (narrow) |
feminine |
| hibernus | [hiːˈbɛr.nʊs] (Classical Latin, narrow) [iˈbɛr.nus] (narrow) |
masculine |
hiems is a feminine noun referring to the fourth season, which is characterized by the lowest temperatures and short days. To describe the stormy aspects of the season, one might use the formal phrase Tempestas hiemalis.
Which one should you use?
hiems is the noun used to name the season itself, whereas hibernus is a masculine adjective used to describe something as being wintry or characteristic of winter.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural forms of the noun are hiemes for the nominative case and hiemum for the genitive and hiemibus for the dative and ablative. In terms of verbs, you can use hiemō or hiberno to mean spend the winter and hibernāre is a common way to express the act of spending the winter in a specific location.
Did you know?
- The word hiems is cognate with the Sanskrit word himá, which means 'snow'.
- The word hiems appears in the works of Virgil and Ovid often as a metaphor for old age or the end of a life cycle.
- The adjective hibernus is the direct ancestor of the English word 'hibernate', which describes how animals sleep through the winter.
Examples in context
- Hiems mox ventura est.Winter is coming soon.This sentence is useful for describing the approach of the season using hiems.Tatoeba #8425095 by Vibius_Marcus, translation #1052804 by CK
- Foras non exiit, quamdiu hiems fuit.As long as it was winter, he did not go outdoors.This sentence uses hiems to describe a period of time during which someone stayed indoors.Tatoeba #5163195 by alexmarcelo, translation #5172284 by CarpeLanam
- Hiems multa bona fert, sed mala quoque.Winter brings many good things, but also bad things.This sentence illustrates the various effects brought by the season using hiems.Tatoeba #4980595 by Discipulus, translation #5067599 by CarpeLanam
- Hiems tempus frigidum estWinter is a cold season.
- Tempestas hiemalis saeva estThe winter storm is brutal.
- Bruma te exspectatWinter awaits you.
- Est gelu hiemis signumIce is a sign of winter.
- Bruma iam lapsa estWinter has already slipped away.
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucia and Gaius are discussing the changing weather.
- LuciaCur hiems tam longa est?Why is winter so long?
- GaiusNescio, sed frigus me terret.I do not know, but the cold scares me.
- LuciaHiems tamen mox finietur.But winter will end soon.
- GaiusSpero ut ver mox veniat.I hope that spring comes soon.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “winter” translations and entries hiems, hibernus, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hibernus, hiems, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
