Weather & Seasons
El Tiempo y las Estaciones
After this lesson, you'll be able to:
- ✓Use hacer for weather expressions
- ✓Describe current and typical weather
- ✓Connect weather to activities using cuando
- ✓Distinguish between hace/está/hay/llueve for weather
Grammar Focus
Essential grammar for this lesson with examples.
Recap: Months & Seasons from Stage 1
In Stage 1 you learned the months of the year. Now let's connect them to the four seasons. Remember that months are not capitalized in Spanish:
Examples:
Hacer for Weather
The verb hacer (to do/make) is the main weather verb in Spanish. Where English says "it is hot," Spanish literally says "it makes heat" (hace calor). This is one of the most important weather patterns to learn:
Examples:
Other Weather Expressions
Not all weather uses hacer! Spanish has four different constructions for weather, depending on what you're describing. Pay attention to which verb goes with which expression:
Examples:
Weather + Seasons
To describe typical weather for a season, combine "en" + season + weather expression. This is how Spanish speakers describe what weather is normal for each time of year:
Examples:
Mucho vs Muy with Weather
This is a common mistake area! In Spanish, mucho (a lot) goes with nouns, and muy (very) goes with adjectives. Since most weather expressions use nouns (calor, frío, viento), you'll usually use mucho:
Examples:
Connecting Weather to Activities with Cuando
Cuando (when) lets you connect weather conditions to activities. The pattern is simple: cuando + weather + activity. This is how you talk about what you do in different weather:
Examples:
Seasonal Activities
Let's combine seasons, weather, and activities. This brings together everything from this lesson and lets you talk about your habits throughout the year:
Examples:
Conversation Example
Pablo and Ana are planning a weekend outing. They check the weather forecast.
🌍 Climate Shapes Culture
Weather deeply influences daily life across the Spanish-speaking world. In Spain, the siesta tradition grew from the intense afternoon heat - shops and businesses historically closed from 2-5 PM during summer. In Central America and Colombia, people talk about the "temporada seca" (dry season) and "temporada de lluvias" (rainy season) rather than four distinct seasons. And remember - if you visit Argentina, Chile, or other South American countries below the equator, the seasons are reversed! December through February is summer, and June through August is winter. So when it's snowing in Madrid in January, people in Buenos Aires are at the beach!