Breakdown of Por la mañana hace fresco en la plaza.
en
in
la mañana
the morning
hacer
to do/make
la plaza
the square
fresco
cool
por
in
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Questions & Answers about Por la mañana hace fresco en la plaza.
Why is it hace fresco and not es fresco or está fresco?
Spanish uses impersonal hacer for many weather conditions:
- Hace fresco/frío/calor/viento = it’s cool/cold/hot/windy.
- Está fresco is also possible, but it describes how the air or a place feels right now.
- Es fresco is not used for weather; it describes inherent qualities (a person being cheeky, or food being fresh).
How cool is fresco compared to frío?
- Fresco: cool/chilly, you might want a light jacket.
- Frío: cold; you likely need a coat.
In Spain you might also hear the colloquial hace rasca for “it’s really nippy.”
Is por la mañana the normal way to say “in the morning” in Spain?
Yes. In Spain, por la mañana is standard. En la mañana is more common in parts of Latin America and sounds unusual in Spain.
What’s the difference between por la mañana and por las mañanas?
- Por la mañana: on a (particular) morning or as a general time frame.
- Por las mañanas: habitually, on mornings in general (regularly).
Does mañana also mean “tomorrow”? How do I avoid confusion?
Yes.
- La mañana = the morning.
- Mañana (without article) usually means tomorrow.
Context and the article la distinguish them: por la mañana (in the morning) vs mañana (tomorrow).
Can I use de la mañana instead?
Use de la mañana with clock times:
- A las ocho de la mañana = at 8 in the morning.
For a general time frame, prefer por la mañana.
Why is there no comma after Por la mañana?
A comma after a short introductory time phrase is optional in Spanish. Both are fine:
- Por la mañana, hace fresco en la plaza.
- Por la mañana hace fresco en la plaza.
How do you pronounce hace, plaza, and mañana in Spain?
- hace: the h is silent; c before e is like English “th” in thin: approx. “AH-the.”
- plaza: z is also “th”: “PLA-tha.”
- mañana: “ma-NYA-na” (the ñ is like “ny” in canyon).
Why en la plaza and not a la plaza?
- En la plaza = in/at the square (location).
- A la plaza = to the square (movement/direction).
Why use the article in la plaza? Could it be una plaza?
Spanish often uses definite articles for known or contextually clear places. En la plaza suggests a specific square (often the town square).
Use en una plaza if you mean “in a square (any square),” not a particular one.
Can I change the word order?
Yes. Spanish allows flexibility for emphasis:
- Por la mañana hace fresco en la plaza. (time focus)
- Hace fresco por la mañana en la plaza. (weather first)
- En la plaza, por la mañana, hace fresco. (place focus)
How do I say it in the past or future?
- Recent past: Esta mañana ha hecho fresco.
- Ongoing past/setting: Ayer por la mañana hacía fresco.
- Simple past event: Ayer por la mañana hizo fresco.
- Future/forecast: Mañana por la mañana hará fresco.
When do I use hay or está for weather instead of hace?
- Hace for temperature/feel: hace frío/fresco/calor.
- Está for states of the sky: está nublado/despejado.
- Hay for phenomena: hay niebla/tormenta/viento.
Does fresco ever mean “fresh”?
Yes. With things and estar: El pan está fresco (the bread is fresh).
With weather and hacer: Hace fresco (it’s cool).
Can I add more detail like “early in the morning”?
Yes:
- Por la mañana temprano hace fresco.
- A primera hora de la mañana hace fresco.
Is mañana capitalized?
No. Time-of-day words like mañana, tarde, noche are lowercase in Spanish unless they start a sentence.
Does plaza only mean a town square?
In this sentence, yes, it’s a town square. But plaza can also mean a seat/position or a job vacancy in other contexts.