Weather (Leaving Cert Spanish): Revision Notes
Weather
Weather vocabulary is essential for Spanish conversation and appears regularly in Leaving Cert listening exams. This note covers weather expressions, vocabulary, and grammar patterns you need to describe weather conditions.
Core weather vocabulary
Understanding basic weather terms forms the foundation of weather discussions in Spanish. These words appear frequently in weather forecasts and everyday conversations.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| el tiempo | the weather |
| el pronóstico | the forecast |
| el clima | climate |
| la temperatura | temperature |
| el sol | sun |
| la lluvia | rain |
| la nieve | snow |
| el viento | wind |
| la nube | cloud |
| el cielo | sky |
| la tormenta | storm |
| el hielo | ice |
| la neblina | mist |
| la niebla | fog |
| la escarcha | frost |
| el granizo | hail |
| el huracán | hurricane |
| el tornado | tornado |
| el relámpago | lightning |
| el trueno | thunder |
| el arco iris | rainbow |
Example Sentences:
- El pronóstico dice que va a llover mañana. - The forecast says it's going to rain tomorrow.
- Hay mucha nieve en las montañas. - There's lots of snow in the mountains.
- El viento es muy fuerte hoy. - The wind is very strong today.
- Las nubes están grises. - The clouds are grey.
Grammar note: Weather nouns are typically masculine (el tiempo, el sol, el viento) or feminine (la lluvia, la nieve, la temperatura). Learn the gender with each word.
Weather conditions and descriptions
Spanish uses specific patterns to describe weather conditions. These adjectives and phrases help you give detailed weather descriptions.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| soleado | sunny |
| nublado | cloudy |
| despejado | clear |
| lluvioso | rainy |
| tormentoso | stormy |
| ventoso | windy |
| fresco/a | cool/fresh |
| caluroso | hot |
| frío | cold |
| húmedo | humid |
| seco | dry |
| brumoso | misty/hazy |
Example Sentences:
- El cielo está completamente despejado. - The sky is completely clear.
- Hace un día muy caluroso. - It's a very hot day.
- El ambiente está húmedo después de la lluvia. - The atmosphere is humid after the rain.
- Los vientos son flojos esta tarde. - The winds are light this afternoon.
Using "hacer" for weather expressions
The verb "hacer" is the most common way to describe weather conditions in Spanish. This pattern is essential for natural-sounding weather descriptions.
| Spanish Expression | English Translation |
|---|---|
| ¿Qué tiempo hace? | What's the weather like? |
| Hace buen tiempo | The weather is fine |
| Hace mal tiempo | The weather is bad |
| Hace sol | It's sunny |
| Hace calor | It's hot |
| Hace frío | It's cold |
| Hace viento | It's windy |
| Hace mucho frío | It's very cold |
| Hace mucho calor | It's very hot |
Example Sentences:
- Hace buen tiempo para ir a la playa. - The weather is good for going to the beach.
- ¿Qué tiempo hace en tu ciudad? - What's the weather like in your city?
- Ayer hizo mucho calor. - Yesterday it was very hot.
- Mañana va a hacer viento. - Tomorrow it's going to be windy.
Grammar note: "Mucho" is used before nouns (mucho frío) but "muy" is used before adjectives (muy frío). With "hacer" weather expressions, always use "mucho".
Weather verbs and actions
These verbs describe weather phenomena and changes in weather conditions.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| llover (o→ue) | to rain |
| nevar (e→ie) | to snow |
| granizar | to hail |
| soplar | to blow (wind) |
| tronar (o→ue) | to thunder |
| relampaguear | to lightning |
| escampar | to clear up |
| mejorar | to improve |
| empeorar | to worsen |
| cambiar | to change |
Example Sentences:
- Está lloviendo mucho esta mañana. - It's raining a lot this morning.
- Va a nevar en las montañas. - It's going to snow in the mountains.
- El viento sopla del norte. - The wind blows from the north.
- El tiempo está mejorando. - The weather is improving.
Grammar note: Weather verbs often use the present continuous (está lloviendo) to describe current conditions, or simple present (llueve) for general statements.
Weather in different tenses
Weather descriptions change depending on whether you're talking about current conditions, past events, or future forecasts.
Present tense (current weather):
- Hace sol y no hay nubes. - It's sunny and there are no clouds.
- Está lloviendo fuerte. - It's raining hard.
Preterite tense (specific past weather events):
- Ayer hizo mucho viento. - Yesterday it was very windy.
- Llovió toda la noche. - It rained all night.
Imperfect tense (ongoing past weather conditions):
- Cuando era pequeño, siempre hacía calor en verano. - When I was little, it was always hot in summer.
- Hacía sol cuando salimos de casa. - It was sunny when we left the house.
Future tense (weather predictions):
- Mañana hará buen tiempo. - Tomorrow the weather will be good.
- Va a llover por la tarde. - It's going to rain in the afternoon.
Temperatures and measurements
Understanding temperature expressions and weather measurements is crucial for comprehending weather forecasts.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| grados | degrees |
| la temperatura máxima | maximum temperature |
| la temperatura mínima | minimum temperature |
| bajo cero | below zero |
| una ola de calor | a heatwave |
| vientos fuertes | strong winds |
| vientos flojos | light winds |
| lluvia fuerte | heavy rain |
| lluvia débil | light rain |
Example Sentences:
- La temperatura máxima será de veinte grados. - The maximum temperature will be twenty degrees.
- Hay vientos fuertes del oeste. - There are strong winds from the west.
- Las temperaturas están bajo cero. - Temperatures are below zero.
Translation exercises
Translate into English:
- Hace mucho calor y no hay viento.
- Mañana va a llover por la mañana pero hará sol por la tarde.
Translate into Spanish: 3. The weather is very bad today - it's windy and cloudy. 4. It was snowing when we arrived at the airport.
Answers:
- It's very hot and there's no wind.
- Tomorrow it's going to rain in the morning but it will be sunny in the afternoon.
- El tiempo está muy malo hoy - hace viento y está nublado.
- Estaba nevando cuando llegamos al aeropuerto.
Phrase bank for exams
These functional phrases will help you discuss weather confidently in speaking and writing tasks:
Useful Exam Phrases:
- Según el pronóstico... - According to the forecast...
- El tiempo está cambiando - The weather is changing
- Hace un tiempo horrible - The weather is horrible
- ¿Cómo está el tiempo? - How's the weather?
- El tiempo mejora/empeora - The weather is improving/getting worse
- Hay probabilidad de lluvia - There's a chance of rain
Common errors and fixes
Error: Está haciendo mucho caliente ❌
Fix: Hace mucho calor ✅
Reason: Use "hacer + calor/frío" not "hacer + caliente/fresco". The weather expressions with "hacer" use specific nouns.
Error: Hay muy frío ❌
Fix: Hace mucho frío ✅
Reason: Weather conditions use "hacer" not "haber". "Hay" is only used with things you can count (hay nubes).
Error: El tiempo es soleado ❌
Fix: Hace sol or Está soleado ✅
Reason: Use "hacer" for weather expressions or "estar" with weather adjectives, not "ser".
Error: Llueve mucho ❌
Fix: Llueve mucho ✅ or Está lloviendo mucho ✅
Reason: This is actually correct! Both forms work - simple present for general statements, present continuous for current conditions.
Key Points to Remember:
- Use "hacer" for most weather expressions: hace sol, hace frío, hace viento
- Weather verbs like "llover" and "nevar" can use present continuous (está lloviendo) for current conditions
- Learn weather vocabulary with correct gender: el sol, la lluvia, el viento
- "Mucho" goes with "hacer" weather expressions (hace mucho calor), not "muy"
- Different tenses express different time frames: preterite for specific past events, imperfect for ongoing past conditions, future for predictions