Describing Weather with "Hacer"
In English, we say "it is hot" or "it is sunny." In Spanish, you often use the verb hacer (to do / to make) followed by a noun. Think of it as saying the weather "makes" heat or wind!
Since we are talking about the weather in general ("it"), we always use the form hace.
- hace calor (it is hot)
- hace frío (it is cold)
- hace fresco (it is cool)
- hace sol (it is sunny)
- hace viento (it is windy)
To say it is very hot or windy, use mucho instead of muy, because words like calor and viento are nouns.
| I cannot sleep because it is very hot. | No puedo dormir porque hace mucho calor. |
| It is cool outside and you need a jacket. | Hace fresco afuera y necesitas una chaqueta. |
| The children cannot sleep because it is very windy. | Los niños no pueden dormir porque hace mucho viento. |
Describing Weather with "Estar"
When describing the condition of the sky or atmosphere using an adjective, use está (it is).
- está nublado (it is cloudy)
- está soleado (it is sunny)
- está despejado (it is clear)
To say it is very sunny or cloudy, use muy (instead of mucho), because these weather words are adjectives.
| The weather is excellent and it is clear. | El clima es excelente y está despejado. |
| We can go to the beach because it is sunny. | Podemos ir a la playa porque está soleado. |
| Today it is not clear because it is cloudy. | Hoy no está despejado porque está nublado. |
Putting It Together
You will frequently use both hace and está to describe the climate (el clima) and current conditions. You might also see the verb haber (using hay) to say that "there is" rain or snow.
| It is sunny and cool outside. | Hace sol y hace fresco afuera. |
| It is cloudy because there is a lot of rain. | Está nublado porque hay mucha lluvia. |
| We do not travel because there is snow and it is cold. | No viajamos porque hay nieve y hace frío. |