Encendemos la chimenea cuando hace frío.

when

Breakdown of Encendemos la chimenea cuando hace frío.

• nosotros: we
• la chimenea: the fireplace
• encender: to light

Questions & Answers about Encendemos la chimenea cuando hace frío.

Why do we use encendemos instead of another verb like prendemos?

In Spain, encender is more common than prender when talking about turning on or lighting something like a fireplace or a lamp. While prender is also understood, it tends to be used more in Latin America or in more formal contexts.

Why do we say la chimenea and not el chimenea?

Spanish nouns have grammatical gender. The word chimenea is feminine, so we use la rather than el. There’s no universal rule for which nouns are masculine or feminine—you often just learn them as you go.

What’s the difference between saying hace frío and está frío?

When talking about the weather in general, Spanish typically uses hace plus a noun (like frío, calor, sol, etc.). If you say está frío, you’re describing the temperature of a specific object or a specific place rather than the general weather.

Why is the verb in the present tense (encendemos) and not in another tense (like encenderemos)?

We use the simple present here to talk about a habitual action—something that happens regularly whenever it’s cold. If you said encenderemos, it would sound more future-oriented, like a specific plan rather than a regular habit.