Temperature in Spanish, including vocabulary for describing weather, body temperature, and using thermometers across everyday contexts.
The following sections cover the essential Spanish vocabulary for talking about temperature in various contexts, including weather, health, and using measurement devices.
Weather
These words help you describe how hot or cold it is outside.
| Spanish Noun | English Noun | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| el calor | heat | Hace mucho calor hoy. | It’s very hot today. |
| el frío | cold | Siento mucho frío. | I feel very cold. |
| la temperatura | temperature | ¿Cuál es la temperatura? | What is the temperature? |
| el clima | climate/weather | El clima está cambiando. | The weather is changing. |
| el termómetro | thermometer | Miré el termómetro afuera. | I looked at the thermometer outside. |
| la ola de calor | heat wave | Hay una ola de calor en la ciudad. | There is a heat wave in the city. |
| la brisa | breeze | Hay una brisa fresca. | There’s a cool breeze. |
| la humedad | humidity | La humedad está alta hoy. | The humidity is high today. |
| el sol | sun | El sol está muy fuerte. | The sun is very strong. |
| la sombra | shade | Prefiero estar en la sombra. | I prefer to be in the shade. |
Body Temperature
These terms are useful for talking about fever and health.
| Spanish Noun | English Noun | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| la fiebre | fever | Tengo fiebre desde anoche. | I’ve had a fever since last night. |
| la temperatura corporal | body temperature | La temperatura corporal normal es 36.5°C. | The normal body temperature is 36.5°C. |
| el termómetro | thermometer | Usé un termómetro para medir la fiebre. | I used a thermometer to check for fever. |
| el sudor | sweat | El sudor es señal de que tengo fiebre. | Sweat is a sign that I have a fever. |
| el escalofrío | chill/shiver | Tengo escalofríos y temblores. | I have chills and shivers. |
| el malestar | discomfort | Siento malestar por la fiebre. | I feel discomfort because of the fever. |
| la medición | measurement | La medición de la temperatura fue de 38°C. | The temperature measurement was 38°C. |
| tomar la temperatura | take the temperature | Voy a tomar tu temperatura. | I’m going to take your temperature. |
| la temperatura alta | high temperature | Tiene la temperatura alta, puede ser fiebre. | She has a high temperature, it could be a fever. |
| la temperatura normal | normal temperature | Mi temperatura está normal ahora. | My temperature is normal now. |
Tengo ___ y temblores.
What is the Spanish term for 'chills' or 'shivers'?
escalofríos
'Escalofríos' means chills or shivers. 'Sudor' is sweat, 'malestar' is discomfort, and 'fiebre' is fever.
Using Thermometers
How to talk about measuring and reading temperatures.
| Spanish Phrase | English Phrase | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| medir la temperatura | measure the temperature | Debes medir la temperatura cada hora. | You should measure the temperature every hour. |
| leer el termómetro | read the thermometer | Leí el termómetro y marcó 37.5°C. | I read the thermometer and it showed 37.5°C. |
| tomar la temperatura | take the temperature | El médico tomó la temperatura del paciente. | The doctor took the patient's temperature. |
| registrar la temperatura | record the temperature | Registra la temperatura en la hoja. | Record the temperature on the sheet. |
| el termómetro digital | digital thermometer | Usamos un termómetro digital. | We used a digital thermometer. |
| el termómetro de mercurio | mercury thermometer | El termómetro de mercurio es más lento. | The mercury thermometer is slower. |
| el termómetro infrarrojo | infrared thermometer | El termómetro infrarrojo no toca la piel. | The infrared thermometer doesn’t touch the skin. |
| temperatura estable | stable temperature | La temperatura es estable ahora. | The temperature is stable now. |
| temperatura elevada | elevated temperature | La paciente tiene la temperatura elevada. | The patient has an elevated temperature. |
| temperatura descendente | falling temperature | La fiebre está bajando, la temperatura es descendente. | The fever is going down; the temperature is falling. |
Describing Temperature
These common expressions help you describe how hot or cold something is.
| Spanish Phrase | English Phrase | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| hace calor | it’s hot | Hace calor en verano. | It’s hot in summer. |
| hace frío | it’s cold | Hace frío por la mañana. | It’s cold in the morning. |
| está templado | it’s mild | El clima está templado hoy. | The weather is mild today. |
| está caliente | it’s hot/warm | El agua está caliente. | The water is hot. |
| está frío | it’s cold | El café está frío. | The coffee is cold. |
| está congelado | it’s frozen | El congelador está congelado. | The freezer is frozen. |
| se enfría | it cools down | La habitación se enfría rápido. | The room cools down quickly. |
| se calienta | it heats up | El coche se calienta al sol. | The car heats up in the sun. |
| a temperatura ambiente | at room temperature | Déjalo a temperatura ambiente. | Leave it at room temperature. |
| la temperatura sube | the temperature rises | La temperatura sube en la tarde. | The temperature rises in the afternoon. |
Temperature Units
How to talk about Celsius and Fahrenheit.
| Spanish Term | English Term | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| los grados centígrados (°C) | degrees Celsius (°C) | La temperatura es 20 grados centígrados. | The temperature is 20 degrees Celsius. |
| los grados Fahrenheit (°F) | degrees Fahrenheit (°F) | La temperatura es 68 grados Fahrenheit. | The temperature is 68 degrees Fahrenheit. |
| la escala centígrada / Celsius | Celsius scale | Uso la escala Celsius para la temperatura. | I use the Celsius scale for temperature. |
| la escala Fahrenheit | Fahrenheit scale | En EE.UU. usan la escala Fahrenheit. | In the U.S., they use the Fahrenheit scale. |
| convertir a Celsius | convert to Celsius | Convierte 100°F a Celsius. | Convert 100°F to Celsius. |
| convertir a Fahrenheit | convert to Fahrenheit | Convierte 37°C a Fahrenheit. | Convert 37°C to Fahrenheit. |
| punto de congelación | freezing point | El punto de congelación es 0°C. | The freezing point is 0°C. |
| punto de ebullición | boiling point | El punto de ebullición es 100°C. | The boiling point is 100°C. |
| temperatura precisa | precise temperature | Necesito una temperatura precisa. | I need a precise temperature. |
| temperatura aproximada | approximate temperature | La temperatura es aproximada. | The temperature is approximate. |
This should cover everything you need to know to talk about temperature in Spanish — from describing the weather and your body to using thermometers and understanding units.
La temperatura es 20 ___ centígrados.
What is 'degrees Celsius' in Spanish?
grados
'Grados centígrados' means 'degrees Celsius'. Other options do not mean 'degrees'.
Flashcards (1 of 50)
- English Noun: heat
- English Example: It’s very hot today.
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
