C2 · 50 words
Weather, precisely in Spanish
Everything that lies between sun and rain.
Practise this list
From these 50 words, as many per round as you like — up to all of them: first what is due today, then new ones. First you choose, then you fill the gap, then you write it yourself. Mistakes come back again shortly.
More about this list
Weather is talked about every day and pinned down almost never. Spanish keeps a separate word for each kind of rain: el chubasco is short and violent, la calabobos so fine that one is wet before noticing, and el aguacero is the downpour after which the street looks like another street. The pair worth holding on to sits a little further down the list. English says « frost » for two different things: the white crust one scrapes off the windscreen, and the night below zero that killed the blossom. Spanish separates them — la escarcha is the crust, the deposit, the thing one can touch; la helada is the event, the hours of cold that produced it. A grower needs the second word and a driver the first, and « frost » makes both of them ask again.
The words
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Verb (4)
amainarto grow weakerVerbC2
El viento amainó al caer la tarde.The wind grew weaker as the evening fell.
arreciarto grow strongerVerbC2
La lluvia arreció justo al salir.The rain grew stronger just as they were leaving.
despejarto turn clearVerbC2
El cielo despejó de golpe por la tarde.The sky turned clear all at once in the afternoon.
encapotarseto turn overcastVerbC2
El cielo se encapotó en media hora.The sky turned overcast in half an hour.
Phrase (32)
la llovizna persistentethe drizzle that will not stopPhraseC2
La llovizna persistente duró todo el domingo.The drizzle that would not stop lasted all Sunday.
la tromba de aguathe wall of waterPhraseC2
Una tromba de agua cortó la carretera.A wall of water closed the main road.
el granizo menudothe fine hailPhraseC2
El granizo menudo cubrió el césped de blanco.Fine hail covered the lawn in white.
la nevada copiosathe heavy snowfallPhraseC2
La nevada copiosa aisló el pueblo dos días.The heavy snowfall cut the village off for two days.
el rocío de la mañanathe morning dewPhraseC2
El rocío de la mañana basta para las plantas del alféizar.The morning dew is enough for the plants on the sill.
la helada tardíathe late frostPhraseC2
La helada tardía estropeó la floración.The late frost ruined the blossom.
la racha de vientothe gust of windPhraseC2
Una racha de viento tumbó la sombrilla.A gust of wind knocked the parasol over.
el viento racheadothe gusty windPhraseC2
El viento racheado complica el aterrizaje.A gusty wind makes the landing harder.
la brisa marinathe sea breezePhraseC2
La brisa marina entra a media tarde.The sea breeze comes in during the afternoon.
el viento del norte secothe dry northerlyPhraseC2
El viento del norte seco limpia el cielo en horas.The dry northerly clears the sky in hours.
la calma chichathe dead calmPhraseC2
La calma chicha dejó los barcos parados.The dead calm left the boats exactly where they were.
el aire pesado del veranothe heavy summer airPhraseC2
El aire pesado del verano no afloja de noche.The heavy summer air does not ease at night.
la sensación térmicathe temperature as it feelsPhraseC2
La sensación térmica es de cinco grados menos.The temperature as it feels is five degrees lower.
la amplitud térmicathe daily temperature rangePhraseC2
La amplitud térmica del interior sorprende al visitante.The daily temperature range inland surprises visitors.
la inversión térmicathe temperature inversionPhraseC2
La inversión térmica retiene el humo en el valle.The temperature inversion holds the smoke in the valley.
la niebla espesathe thick fogPhraseC2
La niebla espesa redujo la visibilidad a treinta metros.The thick fog cut visibility to thirty metres.
la neblina bajathe fog that lies on the groundPhraseC2
La neblina baja se levanta hacia las diez.The fog that lies on the ground lifts towards ten.
la bruma del horizontethe haze on the horizonPhraseC2
La bruma del horizonte borra la costa de enfrente.The haze on the horizon hides the coast opposite.
el cielo encapotadothe overcast skyPhraseC2
El cielo encapotado no dejó ver el eclipse.The overcast sky hid the eclipse completely.
los claros y nubesthe sunny spells and cloudPhraseC2
Se esperan claros y nubes durante toda la jornada.Sunny spells and cloud are expected all day.
el frente fríothe cold frontPhraseC2
El frente frío llega de madrugada.The cold front arrives before dawn.
el aviso amarillothe first-level weather warningPhraseC2
Hay aviso amarillo por lluvia en toda la provincia.There is a first-level weather warning for rain across the province.
la alerta por temporalthe severe weather warningPhraseC2
La alerta por temporal se levantó al mediodía.The severe weather warning was lifted at midday.
el relámpago sin truenothe lightning without thunderPhraseC2
El relámpago sin trueno se ve al fondo del valle.Lightning without thunder shows at the end of the valley.
la descarga eléctricathe lightning strikePhraseC2
La descarga eléctrica dejó el pueblo sin luz.The lightning strike left the village without power.
el arco iris doblethe double rainbowPhraseC2
Un arco iris doble apareció tras el chaparrón.A double rainbow appeared after the shower.
la sequía prolongadathe prolonged droughtPhraseC2
La sequía prolongada vació los embalses.The prolonged drought emptied the reservoirs.
el episodio de calor extremothe spell of extreme heatPhraseC2
El episodio de calor extremo duró once días.The spell of extreme heat lasted eleven days.
la ola de fríothe cold snapPhraseC2
La ola de frío llegó desde el norte.The cold snap came down from the north.
el índice de radiaciónthe UV indexPhraseC2
El índice de radiación es alto incluso con nubes.The UV index is high even under cloud.
la humedad relativa altathe high relative humidityPhraseC2
La humedad relativa alta hace insoportable el calor.The high relative humidity makes the heat unbearable.
el pronóstico a corto plazothe short-range forecastPhraseC2
El pronóstico a corto plazo acierta mucho más.The short-range forecast is far more accurate.
Noun (m) (8)
el chubascothe short sharp showerNoun (m)C2
Un chubasco vació la terraza en un minuto.A short sharp shower emptied the terrace in a minute.
el aguacerothe drenching downpourNoun (m)C2
El aguacero dejó la calle irreconocible.The drenching downpour left the street unrecognisable.
el aguanievethe sleetNoun (m)C2
El aguanieve hace la carretera más peligrosa que la nieve.Sleet makes the road more dangerous than snow.
el deshielothe thawNoun (m)C2
El deshielo llena el río en pocos días.The thaw fills the river within days.
el nubarrónthe dark storm cloudNoun (m)C2
Un nubarrón se acerca desde el oeste.A dark storm cloud is coming in from the west.
el anticiclónthe area of high pressureNoun (m)C2
El anticiclón mantiene el tiempo estable una semana.The area of high pressure keeps the weather settled for a week.
el chaparrónthe brief downpourNoun (m)C2
El chaparrón duró apenas cinco minutos.The brief downpour lasted barely five minutes.
el escampadothe break in the rainNoun (m)C2
Aprovecharon el escampado para volver.They used the break in the rain to walk back.
Noun (f) (6)
la calabobosthe fine soaking drizzleNoun (f)C2
La calabobos moja sin que uno se dé cuenta.The fine soaking drizzle wets you before you notice it.
la escarchathe hoar frostNoun (f)C2
La escarcha cubre el parabrisas antes del amanecer.Hoar frost covers the windscreen before dawn.
la calimathe dust hazeNoun (f)C2
La calima tiñó el cielo de naranja.The dust haze turned the sky orange.
la borrascathe area of low pressureNoun (f)C2
La borrasca se desplaza hacia el este.The area of low pressure is moving east.
la isobarathe isobarNoun (f)C2
Las isobaras juntas anuncian viento fuerte.Isobars close together mean strong wind.
la ventiscathe blizzardNoun (f)C2
La ventisca borró las huellas en minutos.The blizzard wiped out the footprints in minutes.
This list belongs to Nature and natural sciences — 31 lists and 1 550 words that can also be practised as a whole.