Learn Spanish (Latin America): El clima aquí es diferente, pero está soleado. - The weather here is different, but it is sunny.

In Spanish, weather expressions use different verbs depending on the type of word that follows. We use hace with nouns (like hace sol, which literally means it makes sun). However, soleado is an adjective describing a current condition, so we use está just like we use is in English.

Why does the first half of the sentence use es but the second half uses está?

Both words mean is, but they have different jobs in Spanish. We use es (from the verb ser) to describe a basic or permanent characteristic, like the weather here being generally diferente. We use está (from the verb estar) for temporary states and conditions, like the sky currently being soleado.

Could I say hace sol instead of está soleado here?

Yes, you can! hace sol and está soleado are completely interchangeable in everyday conversation. Just remember to pair hace with the noun sol and está with the adjective soleado.

Does el clima mean climate or weather?