Fast navigate to:
In Spanish, there are various idioms, lexicons, and expressions that are used in everyday language, and often their meaning has nothing to do with the true meaning of the words that make it up. These phrases, expressions, and idioms have their origins in historical facts, customs, legends, and even superstitions.
Weather expressions in Spanish tend to appear very often in conversations, especially when we don’t know what we can talk about with another person. However, many of the words and phrases used in meteorology are often included in many expressions in the Spanish language.
The Weather Predictions: vocabulary
To have a better understanding of what we are talking about here let’s look at some basic concepts, auxiliary phrases, and other tricks that experts use to make weather predictions and seem to know a lot about the subject. Pay attention to the following definitions:
- Weather evolves, it doesn’t change – El clima evoluciona, no cambia.
- Clouds move forward, they do not come or go – Las nubes avanzan, no vienen y van.
- Temperatures can go up and down, but more correctly they go rise and descend – Las temperaturas suben y bajan, pero es más correcto decir ascienden y descienden.
- When talking about the future you should use “Expected” instead of “will be”. In the case of temperatures, use “reach” – Para predicciones utilizan el “se espera” en lugar de “será”.
- Do not use the word “risk” to refer to probabilities, as it can be understood as danger – No utilizar la palabra “riesgo cuando se habla de probabilidades, ya que puede interpretarse como peligro.
- Say “low probability” instead of “possible” – Utilice “baja probabilidad” en lugar de “posible”.
A proper forecast should follow parameters set by international weather agencies. In fact, several of them have manuals of use that explain that first the place and the situation must be cited in the early hours, and then the evolution of the climate until the end of the day. The predictions adequately raised would be something like “In the autonomous community, in the morning hours will remain clear, and in the afternoon is expected cloudiness, while in mountain areas does not rule out a low probability of storm.
It is also necessary to know that the maps are not only composed of communities and provinces but that each one has its own geographical areas. When you use Google Maps, always try to include the peninsular areas, mountain ranges, valleys, and so on, every geographical part of the map, since this will help you with much of the work.
Weather expressions in everyday Spanish conversation
Now that we know more about the theory of meteorological expressions in Spanish and the diverse uses that people tend to make of them, it is time to get to know some of the verbs and phrases that are used in the Spanish language in any type of conversation. We will also get to know the meaning of each one of them so that we can understand what they mean when we are not talking about the weather.
- Llover a cántaros/a mares – Raining jars/raining seas. This phrase means that it is raining heavily. Also, Spanish speakers use it when they get a lot of something.
- Llover sobre mojado – Rain over wet. Like a well-known Spanish phrase “Traer Piedras al río” (bring stones to the river), it implies that nothing new is brought in, it is simply more of the same.
- Lluvia de ideas – Brainstorming – In English, it is known as Brainstorm, and it is the contribution of many ideas.
- Aguanta el chaparrón/tormenta – Hold the shower. It’s used when a person has to endure a heavy blow, a problem, or a consequence of something they’ve done.
- Romper el hielo – Breaking the ice. Ending a tense or uncomfortable situation with someone.
- Ser frío/ser como hielo – Be like ice/be cold. It is when a person does not express what they feel or think.
- Congelarse – To freeze/stay frozen. It happens when someone gets a negative surprise because of their attitude.
- Andar en las nubes – Living in the clouds. The person spends a lot of time distracted.
- Put in the clouds. It is when you speak well of another person, you put him in the clouds.
- Sabe a rayos – Taste like lightning. It is used when something tastes bad.
- Tienes X primaveras – Having X-rays in the spring. It is used to refer to a person’s age.
- Eres un sol – You are a sun. It is used as a compliment to someone who is a good person.
- Calor infernal – Heat from hell. It is used when it is too hot.
- Sudar la gota gorda – Sweat the big drop. This expression is common when a person sweats a lot or is very tired from having done some activity or from having been exposed to heat for a long time.
- Después de la tormenta viene la calma – After the storm the calm comes. This phrase is known and used in both Spanish and English, and it means that after a complicated situation everything returns to normal or improves.
- Que te parta un rayo – Get struck by lightning. It is used to wish someone ill.
- Se aproximan nubarrones – Clouds are approaching. This phrase refers to bad times coming.
- Todo despejado – Everything is clear. It is to refer to everything going as planned.
- Llueve, truene, o relampaguee – Rain, thunder, or lightning. This is a phrase or verb that is used a lot in Spanish to make it clear that what happens will happen.
- Estás en el otoño de la vida – You are in the fall of life. This is how it is referred to when a person is reaching old age.
- Ha llovido mucho desde… – It has rained a lot since…. It is used to express that a lot of time has passed since then.
- Lluvia de… – Rain from…. It is used to express that you have a lot of something.
- Como caído del cielo – As if it had fallen from the sky. This phrase is mentioned when you receive something good in an unexpected way.
- Hablar al aire – Speak into the air. This is when a person speaks without a basis.
- Cambiar de aires – Change of airs. This phrase is used when they have to move or go somewhere else.
- A los cuatro vientos – To the four winds. It is used to refer to something going or being in all directions.
- Estar en el ojo del huracán – Stay into the storm eye. It is used when you want to avoid any compromise, work, or complicated situation.
- Huir del trueno y dar con el relámpago – Fleeing from thunder and finding the lightning. With this phrase, they mean that they flee from danger, but find another.
- El clima está loco – The weather is crazy. It is said when the weather changes very quickly, out of season, and very abruptly.
These are the most commonly used weather expressions in Spanish in any type of conversation. We hope that everything goes well for you (that everything goes well) and that you can learn more about the broad lexicon of Spanish.
Want to test your vocabulary on weather terms? Take our quiz! Click here