Is it hot…? Tell me in Spanish

For each of these cases there are several common expressions that indicate the temperature. Before delving into the vocabulary, it is necessary to take into account that in Spanish-speaking countries, and almost throughout the world, the temperature is indicated in degrees Celsius (°C).

degrees Celsius and degrees Fahrenheit

However, in the United States and some other countries, temperature is commonly expressed in degrees Fahrenheit. To know how many degrees Fahrenheit equals a temperature in degrees Celsius it is necessary to perform the following operation:

First, you must multiply the temperature in degrees Celsius by 1.8 and add 32 to the result. This is expressed with the following formula:

F = 1.8C + 32

For example, if we know that in Spain in summer it is usually 35°C and we want to know how many degrees Fahrenheit this temperature is equivalent to, we must perform the calculation:

F=1.8×35 + 32 = 95

Therefore, we obtain that 35°C is equivalent to 95°F.

On the other hand, if we want to know how many degrees Celsius a Fahrenheit temperature is equal to, we must subtract 32 from this and then multiply it by 0.556 or five ninths, according to the equation:

C = (F-32) x (5/9)

If it is 70°F in New York, and we want to know how many degrees Celsius it is, then the calculation would be:

C = (70-32) x (5/9) = 21

In this way, we know that 70°F is equal to 21°C.

weather and seasons vocabulary

One of the most common contexts where temperature is discussed is the weather during the seasons. In spring, moderate and pleasant temperatures are common. In summer, temperatures are high. In autumn, the temperature begins to drop. In winter, the temperature is very low.

Therefore, when we refer to the weather, the following phrases appear:

• Minimum temperature : it is the lowest temperature that is estimated for a period of time, be it a day, a week, etc.
• Maximum temperature : It is the highest temperature that is estimated for a period of time.
• Extreme temperatures : are very high or very low temperatures.
• Warm : is an adjective used to describe the climate of a place, or the weather at a specific time.
• Hot : it is an adjective used to indicate that it is very hot.
• Temperate : it is an adjective that is used when the temperatures are moderate, or to talk about the mesothermal climate of the Earth.
• Low temperature : when there are few degrees Celsius.
• High temperature : when there are many degrees Celsius.
• Heat wave : it is a period characterized by several days of quite high temperatures.
• Cold wave : it is a period in which the temperatures are quite low.
• Sub-zero temperature : when the temperature is less than 0°C.

How to talk about the weather

To talk about temporary weather conditions, which occur at a particular time, and which we also call “weather”, we use the following phrases:

• do + related adjective
  • “It’s (very) hot/cold.”
  • “It’s scorching hot/bitter cold.”
  • “It’s stifling hot.”

• be + adjective
  • “It is a hot day”.

• be + adjective
  • “It’s hot”.

• have + noun
  • “This week there will be a heat/cold wave.”

The state of an object

When you want to describe the temperature of an object, the following expressions are normally used.

• To be + adjective . It is used to express a state that is usually temporary.
  • “It’s hot/cold.”
  • “The cup of tea is hot.”
  • “The pool water is very hot.”
  • “They took a long time to arrive and the food is already cold.”
• To be + adjective . It is used to rather express a quality that is constant.
  • “It’s too hot/cold.”
  • “The sun is very hot.”
  • “The snow is cold”.
  • “Wool clothes are very hot.”

body temperature

Another common situation in which we talk about temperature is to refer to body temperature. Human beings have a constant temperature of approximately 37°C or 98.6°F. However, when we get sick, this temperature can vary. When a person’s temperature is higher than normal, the following phrases are used:

• Verb to have + fever
  • “Last night I had a fever.”
• Verb to have + degrees + of + fever/temperature
  • “He has a 39°C degree of fever/temperature.”
• verb to feverish
  • “The baby woke up with a fever.”
• state + feverish
  • “The patient arrived at the hospital with a feverish state.”

How to ask the temperature in Spanish

To find out what the temperature is, generally, the following questions are asked and the following answers are obtained.

• What is the temperature?
  • It is ___ °C.
  • ___ °C.
  • It’s ___ °C.
  • We are at ___ °C.
• What temperature is it?
  • It’s ___ °C.
• How many degrees does it make?
  • It’s ___ °C.

It is important to note that when you want to indicate the temperature that the speaker or speakers are feeling, the verb to be is usually used : “here we are at 20°C”. On the other hand, when talking about the temperature in general, or about another place or person, the verb to be is used : «its temperature is 37°C».

Other ways of expressing temperature

In some situations it is not possible to indicate the exact temperature, either because it is unknown or because it fluctuates. Some common phrases used in these cases are:

• Verb to oscillate + preposition between + degrees
  • “In summer the temperature ranges between 30 and 40 degrees Celsius/degrees Celsius.”
  • “The temperature of the human body oscillates between 36.6 and 37 degrees.”
• Verb to place/put + preposition to + degrees
  • “Place the container in the oven previously heated to 150°C for 40 minutes.”
• Verb reach + degrees/temperature
  • “The Sahara desert reaches 50°C”.
  • “The water of the Red Sea reaches temperatures of 25°C”.

Examples of sentences about temperature

In addition to the examples mentioned, there are other phrases about temperature that are often used. Some of them are:

• If you don’t open the windows the heat is suffocating.
• It was scorching hot in the bakery.
• The weather this morning is quite warm.
• How hot/cold it is!
• There is a red alert due to intense cold and probability of storms in the city.
• The heat wave will hit the center of the country next week.
• It is estimated that the cold snap will cause problems with the gas supply.
• The months of July and August are the hottest in the northern hemisphere.
• It is common to exceed 40 degrees Celsius during the day in summer.
• In some areas, the temperature can also exceed 20 degrees in winter.
• The north of Spain is characterized by having a stronger climate in winter, with lower temperatures, especially in regions such as Galicia, Asturias or Cantabria.
• In autumn, the temperature begins to drop.
• The temperature is usually colder first thing in the morning and in the late afternoon.
• Here today we are at 30 degrees.
• If the temperature is 10 degrees or more, we can enjoy the outdoors.
• In this town we are at 10 degrees below zero.
• A month ago it was 10 degrees, but now we are -10 degrees below zero.

Bibliography

• Díez Galán, R. Vocabulary A1 Spanish: Vocabulary exercises for beginners. (2019). Spain. Ramon Diez Galan.
• Arlandis, M. Street Spanish: Colloquial Vocabulary and Idiomatic Expressions . (2013). Spain. CreateSpace.
• FundéuRAE. 1001 curiosities, words and expressions of Spanish. (2020). Spain. RAE.