Discussing Temperatures in Spanish

The most common way of indicating temperature in Spanish is to use a form of estar a followed by the number of degrees (grados). Estar is a verb that typically means "to be."

How to Talk About Temperature in Spanish

In the present tense, it is usual to use the phrase estamos a (literally, "we are") to discuss the temperature being experienced by the speaker and the persons around them. Está a (literally, "it is") is used to discuss the temperature of other places. See the following examples:

• Estamos a 30 grados. (It's 30 degrees.)
• Si la temperatura está a dos grados o más, los niños juegan afuera excepto si llueve o nieve. (If the temperature is two degrees or higher, the children play outside unless it's raining or snowing.)
• Estamos a 10 bajo cero. (It's 10 below zero.)
• Hace una semana estaban a 30 grados, pero ahora estamos a 10. (A week ago it was 30 degrees, but now it's 10.)
• ¡Cuántas veces el aire está a 15 grados mientras que el agua está a 17! (How often the air is 15 degrees while the water is 17!)

Temperatures can be discussed in other ways, as well. As shown in the following examples, the temperature is frequently preceded by a preposition:

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• Oscila entre ocho y 20 grados centígrados. (Temperatures vary between eight and 20 degrees Celsius.)
  • You also could use the phrase "grados Celsius" here.
• Colocar en horno a 200 grados durante 15 minutos. (Set in a 200-degree oven for 15 minutes.)
• El agua del mar Mediterráneo alcanza los 32 grados de temperatura. (The water of the Mediterranean Sea reaches a temperature of 32 degrees.)
• Las bacterias se reproducen a una temperatura entre 20 y 30 grados. (The bacteria reproduce at a temperature of 20 to 30 degrees.)
• Una temperatura normal del cuerpo humano es aquella que se encuentra entre los 36.6 grados y los 37 grados. (A normal temperature for the human body is one between 36.6 and 37 degrees.)
• Tenía una temperatura de 36.8 grados. (She had a temperature of 36.8 degrees.)

The Metric System Is Widely Used

Keep in mind that most of the Spanish-speaking world (indeed, nearly the entire world) uses temperatures in Celsius. To convert temperatures from Fahrenheit to Celsius, subtract 32 and multiply the result by 0.556 (or five-ninths). To convert temperatures from Celsius to Fahrenheit, multiply the temperature by 1.8 and add 32. Mathematically, the formulas look like this:

• C = (F-32) X (5/9)
• F = 1.8C + 32

If you try these formulas, you'll find that a body temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit is the same as 37 degrees Celsius, and vice versa. And the 200-degree oven in one of the examples above is the same as one that's set at a bit under 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Approximating Temperatures

Mathematical precision isn't always necessary, though. Here's one way to think of temperatures in Celsius. Of course, you may see it differently if you come from an extreme climate:

• -20 degrees C or below (-4 degrees F or below): frigid (muy frío)
• -20–0 degrees C (-4–32 degrees F): cold (frío)
• 0–10 degrees C (32–50 degrees F): cool (fresco)
• 10–20 degrees C (50–68 degrees F): mild (templado)
• 20–30 degrees C (68–86 degrees F): warm (caliente)
• 30–40 degrees C (86–104 degrees F): hot (muy caliente)
• 40 degrees C and above (104 degrees F and above): unbearably hot (insoportablemente caliente)

Temperature-Related Vocabulary

Here are some words and phrases that may come in handy when discussing temperatures:

• calor asfixiante o calor abrasador — scorching or blistering heat
  • Example: El cuerpo ve el calor asfixiante como una amenaza y reacciona aumentando el estrés. (The body sees scorching heat as a danger and reacts with increased stress.)
• frío intenso — bitter cold
  • Example: Por frío intenso activan alerta roja en cinco ciudades. (They are activating a red alert in five cities because of the bitter cold.)
• ola de calor — heat wave
  • Example: Hay una advertencia meteorológica por ola de calor en el centro y norte del Uruguay. (There is a meteorological warning for a heat wave in central and northern Uruguay.)
• ola de frío — cold snap
  • Example: Una ola de frío sin precedentes dejó más de 20 muertos. (An unprecedented cold snap left more than 20 dead.)