Meaning
Commenting on the cold weather or temperature.
Cultural Background
In Spain, '¡Qué frío hace!' is the official start of 'churros' season. When the temperature drops, cafes fill up with people dipping fried dough into thick hot chocolate. In Mexico City, because of the altitude, mornings can be very chilly ('hace frío') while afternoons are hot. You'll hear this phrase mostly before 10 AM. In the south (Patagonia), 'hacer frío' is a way of life. They might use 'fresco' for temperatures that would freeze a person from the tropics. In Bogotá (the 'fridge' of Colombia), this phrase is used daily. It's often followed by an invitation for a 'tinto' (small black coffee).
The '¿no?' trick
Add '¿no?' at the end to turn it into a question and invite the other person to agree with you. '¡Qué frío hace, ¿no?!'
Silent H
Never pronounce the 'h' in 'hace'. It should sound like 'ah-say'.
Meaning
Commenting on the cold weather or temperature.
The '¿no?' trick
Add '¿no?' at the end to turn it into a question and invite the other person to agree with you. '¡Qué frío hace, ¿no?!'
Silent H
Never pronounce the 'h' in 'hace'. It should sound like 'ah-say'.
Intensity
If it's really cold, stretch the 'í' in 'frío': '¡Qué friiiíto hace!' (using the diminutive for irony or emphasis).
Small Talk King
This is the #1 phrase for talking to strangers in Spain. Use it liberally!
Test Yourself
Choose the correct verb to complete the exclamation about the weather.
¡Qué frío _______ hoy!
We use 'hacer' for weather expressions in Spanish.
Fill in the blank to say 'I am cold'.
Yo _______ frío.
To express personal sensation, use 'tener frío'.
Match the phrase to the correct situation.
You enter a room with the window open in December.
You are commenting on the temperature of the room.
Complete the dialogue.
A: ¿Quieres ir al parque? B: No, _________ (It's so cold!)
The speaker is giving the cold weather as a reason not to go out.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
When to use 'Hace', 'Tengo', and 'Está'
Hace (Weather)
- • Hace frío
- • Hace calor
- • Hace viento
Tengo (Body)
- • Tengo frío
- • Tengo calor
- • Tengo sueño
Está (Objects)
- • Está frío (soup)
- • Está fría (beer)
- • Está frío (water)
Practice Bank
4 exercises¡Qué frío _______ hoy!
We use 'hacer' for weather expressions in Spanish.
Yo _______ frío.
To express personal sensation, use 'tener frío'.
You enter a room with the window open in December.
You are commenting on the temperature of the room.
A: ¿Quieres ir al parque? B: No, _________ (It's so cold!)
The speaker is giving the cold weather as a reason not to go out.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsYes! It's very common and slightly more informal than '¡Qué frío hace!'.
Because 'estar' is for the state of an object. You can say 'El agua está fría', but for the air/weather, it's always 'hace'.
With 'hace', use 'mucho' because 'frío' is a noun. 'Hace mucho frío'.
You can say 'Hace un frío que pela' or 'Está helando'.
No, for a drink say 'La bebida está fría'.
'Frío' is cold, 'fresco' is just cool or chilly.
It's a bit informal. Better to say 'Debido a las bajas temperaturas...'
Yes, it is universal, though regional slang for 'cold' varies.
Because it's used in an exclamation. All question/exclamation words in Spanish have accents.
Yes, that's a simple statement: 'It is cold today'. Adding 'Qué' makes it 'How cold it is today!'.
Related Phrases
Hace calor
contrastIt is hot
Tengo frío
similarI am cold
Hace viento
similarIt is windy
Está frío
similarIt is cold (to the touch)
Hace un frío que pela
specialized formIt's freezing cold
