Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): Hace mucho calor hoy, así que abro todas las ventanas del aula. - It’s very hot today, so I open all the windows of the classroom.

In Spanish, the verb hacer is used with expressions of temperature and general weather conditions like hace frío, hace viento, hace sol. Using estar would change the meaning—for example, está caliente suggests something is physically hot to the touch (like a pan), not that the ambient temperature is high.

What does the word mucho modify in mucho calor?

In mucho calor, mucho is an adverb modifying the noun calor, indicating intensity (“a lot of heat” or “very hot”). Because calor is a masculine singular noun, you use mucho (not mucha). If you had a feminine noun like hambre, it would be mucha hambre.

Why is hoy placed after calor and not at the beginning of the sentence?

Spanish has flexible word order, and placing hoy (today) at the end emphasizes hace mucho calor first. You could also say Hoy hace mucho calor, with no change in meaning. Both are correct; it’s a matter of style or emphasis.

What is the difference between así que and por eso in así que abro todas las ventanas?

Both mean “so” or “therefore,” but así que is a bit more conversational and directly links cause and effect: “it’s hot, so I open...” Por eso is slightly more formal or emphatic: “Hace mucho calor; por eso abro las ventanas.” In everyday speech, they’re often interchangeable.

Why is the verb abrir in the simple present abro instead of the present progressive estoy abriendo?

Spanish often uses the simple present tense to express immediate actions when context is clear. Abro can mean “I open (right now).” Estoy abriendo (“I am opening”) focuses on the ongoing action, but it’s not necessary here because the cause-effect relationship is clear and speakers favor the simpler form.

Why do we say todas las ventanas and not todos las ventanas?

Ventanas is feminine plural, so you use todas (feminine plural) and las (the feminine plural article). Todos is masculine plural and wouldn’t agree with ventanas.

Why is it del aula instead of de la aula? And why is aula treated as feminine?

Del is the contraction of de + el, used because aula is feminine but begins with a stressed “a” sound in the singular. To avoid the awkward la aula, standard Spanish uses el aula (singular) while retaining its feminine gender for adjectives: el aula grande. When contracting, de + el becomes del, so del aula. In plural you say las aulas.

Why don’t we use a preposition before todas las ventanas (like “a”) in abro todas las ventanas?

In Spanish, most verbs that take a direct object don’t require a preposition. Abrir is one of them: abro las ventanas (I open the windows). You only use the preposition a with direct objects when they are specific people or personified animals (the “personal a”), not with inanimate things like windows.