How to Talk About the Temperature in Spanish

Talking about the temperature in Spanish takes many forms. We could talk about the weather, food, and even about our own body temperature! 

Since the beginning of time, discussing the weather and its temperature has been the ultimate icebreaker among strangers. If you’re active in a Spanish community or live in a Spanish-speaking country, it’s essential for you to know how to talk about the temperature in Spanish. Whether you’re a beginner Spanish learner or you’re seasoned in the craft, you’ll want to know the various ways to converse about the temperature of things, people, or the environment. 

Spanish Verbs to Use

To properly discuss the temperature in Spanish, use the verbs ser and estar. When you talk about your body temperature, use the verb tener. 

Let’s review how to use all of these verbs when talking about temperature in Spanish. 

If you want to learn more about how to use these 3 verbs and you want more examples, check out our blog post Ser vs Estar vs Tener: All the Ways to say “I am” in Spanish. 

Estar + Weather Condition

We use the verb estar to describe weather conditions, which is the most common for talking about temperature in Spanish. We use this verb when referring to non-permanent weather conditions.

Here are some examples:

El día está soleado.
The day is sunny.

La mañana estaba nublada.
The morning was cloudy.

El clima está caluroso.
The weather is hot.

Ser + Weather Condition

Use the verb ser to describe how the weather feels like to you or to talk about the normal weather during a specific time of the year. 

Here are some examples:

El clima es agradable.
The weather is nice.

El invierno es muy frío.
Winter is very cold.

Durante el otoño, el clima es ventoso.
During the fall, the weather is windy.

Hacer + Weather Condition

Another verb you can use when talking about the weather is hacer. We use this verb to describe what the weather “does”.

Hace mucho calor.
It is very hot.

En las noches, hace frío.
At night, it is cold.

Haber + Weather Condition

Lastly, Haber is another verb you can use. This one is used in the third-person singular form. You use hay in the indicative present.

No hay muchas nubes.
There aren’t many clouds.

Ayer había mucha lluvia.
Yesterday there was a lot of rain.

Adjectives to Describe the Weather

Spanish is such a rich language with so many words to describe just one thing. Here’s a list of adjectives you can use to describe the weather in Spanish. 

Spanish	English
cálido	warm
caluroso	hot
abrasador	blistering
soleado	sunny
frío	cold
congelado	freezing
helado	frozen
nevado	snowy
nuboso	cloudy
despejado	clear
ventoso	windy
nublado	foggy
húmedo	damp
templado	mild
lluvioso	rainy
tormentoso	stormy
brumoso	misty
seco	dry

Want to know more about describing the weather? Check out our blog post: Spanish Weather Forecast: Scripts and Lessons for Your Students which presents a lot of examples and activities about how professional weather forecasters describe the weather!

Ser and Estar + Degrees

Talking about the weather is all good and fine until you start talking about degrees. For anyone who may be unacquainted with the metric system, talking about the temperature in Spanish gets a tad bit confusing as it’s expressed in Celsius, not Fahrenheit. 

Celsius vs Fahrenheit

Most countries of the world use Celsius instead of Fahrenheit, while the US, the Bahamas, and Belize are an exception. As you become more specific in your discussions about the temperature in Spanish, it will be necessary for you to understand the metric system in Celsius degrees. Luckily, most thermometers have both the metric (Celsius) and imperial (Fahrenheit) systems, allowing you to easily see the difference between them. 

Here’s some basic information for you to know:

El agua hirviendo mide 100° Celsius, pero 212° Fahrenheit.
Boiling water measures 100° in Celsius, but 212° in Fahrenheit.

El agua se congela a 0° Celsius, pero a 32° Fahrenheit.
Water freezes at 0° Celsius, but at 32° Fahrenheit.

So don’t panic if you’re talking about the temperature to Spanish-speaking people and hear the temperature is at 30°. It’s not cold at all! It actually means that the temperature is at 86° Fahrenheit. 

Ser vs Estar

In relation to the temperature in degrees, you can use both ser and estar, depending on the structure of your sentence. Ser is used when the temperature is the subject:

La temperatura es de 30 grados.
The temperature is 30 degrees.

Meanwhile, the verb estar helps us talk about temperature in Spanish to say “we’re at a certain temperature,” similar to the English equivalent of “It is a certain temperature.” Example:

Estamos a 27 grados en la ciudad.
It is 27 degrees in the city.

Some Spanish-speaking countries along the equator (like Guatemala, where I live!) do not experience a cold winter, but an unremittingly wet one—what we call rainy season—and we rarely experience temperatures below 0°C (32°F). However, if you’re in a place where the weather does drop below zero, you can choose to use the phrase menos + degree or degree + bajo cero.  

To discuss freezing temperatures below zero in Spanish, use ser or estar.

Estamos a 10 grados bajo cero.
It is -10 degrees.

La temperatura es de menos 2 grados. 
The temperature is -2 degrees.

Tener + Body Temperature

In addition to talking about the weather, you likely want other ways to discuss the temperature in Spanish, especially in relation to your body and health. Talking about body temperature is useful if you’re feeling sick and you need to explain your symptoms. You also use the verb tener to express how you’re feeling at the moment. 

Here are some examples:

Tengo fiebre.
I have a fever.

Él tiene la temperatura alta.
He has a high temperature.

Ella tiene calor.
She’s hot.

Ellos tienen frío. 
They’re cold.

Conversations About the Weather in Spanish

Learning the facts on how to use the verbs ser, estar, and tener, as you plan to talk about the temperature in Spanish, is one thing. Knowing how to use it in a conversation is a whole other skill—and an important one! 

Below you’ll see a list of phrases, questions, and answers for you to review and use the next time you’re having a conversation about the temperature in Spanish.

Conversation 1

Persona 1: ¿Cómo está el clima hoy? (How is the weather today?)

Persona 2: El clima está soleado. (The weather is sunny.)

Persona 1: A mí me gustan los días soleados. (I like sunny days.)

Persona 2: ¡A mí también! (me too!)

Conversation 2

Persona 1: Hoy está lloviendo. (It is raining today.)

Persona 2: Ayer estuvo nublado. (Yesterday it was cloudy.)

Persona 1: Creo que mañana va a haber lluvia de nuevo. (I think tomorrow there will be rain again.)

Conversation 3

Persona 1: ¿Cuál es el pronóstico del clima? (What is the weather forecast?)

Persona 2: Hoy habrá lluvia toda la tarde. (Today there will be rain in the afternoon.)

Persona 1: ¿Cuál es el pronóstico del clima para mañana? (What is the weather forecast for tomorrow?)

Persona 2: Mañana estará caluroso. (Tomorrow it will be hot.)

Conversation 4

Persona 1: ¿Cómo es el clima en la ciudad? (How is the weather in the city?)

Persona 2: El clima es cálido en la ciudad. (The weather in the city is warm.)

Persona 1: ¡Qué bueno! El clima en mi ciudad es frío. (That’s good! The weather in my city is cold.)

Conversation 5

Persona 1: ¿Tienes frío? (Are you cold?)

Persona 2: Sí, tengo frío. (Yes, I am cold.)

Persona 1: Puedes usar mi suéter. (You can use my sweater.)

Persona 2: ¿Tú no tienes frío? (You are not cold?)

Persona 1: No, yo no tengo frío. (No, I’m not cold.)

Persona 1: ¡Me estoy congelando! (I’m freezing!)

Persona 2: ¡Yo también! El clima está muy frío. (Me too! The weather is too cold!)

Conversation 6

Persona 1: Me gustan las tardes lluviosas. (I like rainy afternoons.)

Persona 2: A mí no me gustan las tardes lluviosas. (I do not like rainy afternoons.)

Persona 1: ¿Cuál es tu clima favorito? (What is your favorite weather?)

Persona 2: Mi clima favorito es el calor. (My favorite weather is hot.)

Are You Ready to Talk About Temperature in Spanish?

Now you know all there is to know about talking about the temperature in Spanish! Encourage yourself to make small talk about the weather, have a conversation about the forecast, or discuss specific temperature grades. 

I hope this vocabulary lesson has helped you! If you’d like to continue practicing your skills at discussing the temperature in Spanish, sign up for a free class with one of our friendly, certified professionals from Guatemala. Having 1-on-1, real-time conversations with a native Spanish speaker is a guaranteed way to reach Spanish fluency faster.

Our teachers will answer all your questions and help to reinforce what you already know. Join us at Homeschool Spanish Academy today!

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