When the Sky Becomes the Perfect Conversation Starter
If there’s one universal topic to break the ice, it’s the weather.
And in Spanish-speaking countries, people talk about it a lot! Whether you want to say it’s hot, rainy, or that the sun is shining over Cochabamba, weather expressions are everywhere in daily conversations.
At Carmen Vega Escuela de Español, we love teaching these little phrases that help you communicate naturally — whether you're chatting with a neighbor, a trufi driver, or a friend at a café.
☀️ The Basics: “Hace”, “Hay” and “Está”
There are three key verbs to describe the weather:
🔹 Hacer — to do (weather)
Used for temperature and general sensations:
- Hace calor. — It’s hot.
- Hace frío. — It’s cold.
- Hace viento. — It’s windy.
- Hace sol. — It’s sunny / The sun is out.
To be more precise:
- Hace mucho calor hoy en Cochabamba. — It’s very hot today in Cochabamba.
🔹 Haber (with hay) — there is / there are
Used to say something is present:
- Hay nubes. — There are clouds.
- Hay tormenta. — There’s a storm.
- Hay neblina. — There’s fog.
- Hay una brisa suave. — There’s a light breeze.
Daily-life example:
- ¡Hoy hay un sol fuerte! — The sun is really strong today!
🔹 Estar — to be (state of the sky)
Used to describe the condition of the sky:
- El cielo está despejado. — The sky is clear.
- Está nublado. — It’s cloudy.
- Está lloviendo. — It’s raining.
- Está nevando. — It’s snowing.
A little nuance:
- Está un poco nublado, pero agradable. — It’s a little cloudy, but nice.
🌈 Seasons & Useful Expressions
Even though Bolivia doesn’t follow the same seasonal rhythm as Europe or North America, here are the main words:
| Espagnol | Français |
|---|---|
| La primavera | Spring |
| El verano | Summer |
| El otoño | Fall |
| El invierno | Winter |
Useful sentences:
- En verano hace mucho calor. — In summer, it’s very hot.
- En invierno hace frío y llueve mucho. — In winter, it’s cold and rains a lot.
In Cochabamba, people often talk about the rainy season (época de lluvias), from November to March:
- Durante la época de lluvias, el cielo cambia todos los días. — During the rainy season, the sky changes every day.
🌧️ Handy Weather Expressions
| Espagnol | Traduction |
|---|---|
| ¿Qué tiempo hace hoy? | What’s the weather like today? |
| Hace buen tiempo. | The weather is nice. |
| Hace mal tiempo. | The weather is bad. |
| Parece que va a llover. | It looks like it's going to rain. |
| El clima está loco. | The weather is crazy. (“El clima está loco” is super common in Latin America 😄) |
| Hace un calor terrible. | It’s terribly hot. |
| Hace fresco. | It’s cool / chilly. |
🌤️ Weather in Everyday Life in Latin America
Talking about the weather isn’t just small talk — it reflects the lifestyle.
In Bolivia, people often adjust their plans to the sun or rain:
- Si no llueve, vamos al mercado. — If it doesn’t rain, we’ll go to the market.
- Con este calor, un jugo de maracuyá cae perfecto. — With this heat, a passion-fruit juice hits the spot.
And in the mountains, you'll often hear:
- El clima cambia cada cinco minutos. — The weather changes every five minutes.
Totally true — in the Andes, the sky can switch from bright blue to rain in minutes.nstants.
☂️ In Class at Carmen Vega Spanish school
Our teachers love using the weather as a daily warm-up exercise. Every morning, students describe the day’s weather and compare it with back home:
- Hoy hace un poco de frío, pero el sol brilla.
- En mi país está nevando ahora.
- Aquí el clima es muy agradable todo el año.
A simple topic quickly becomes a window into culture, grammar, and real-life vocabulary.t.
🌞 To Wrap Up
Talking about the weather in Spanish helps you observe, describe, and connect with people naturally.
It’s also a great way to bond, because climate is part of everyday life — especially in Bolivia, where each region has its own sky.
At Carmen Vega Spanish school, we help you master these simple expressions and use them confidently — whether you're learning in Cochabamba or online.
🌦️ Learn to talk about sun, rain, and wind in Spanish — and discover the warmth of the Spanish-speaking world while you're at it. ☀️