Ser and Estar in Weather and Climate
Quick Answer: Most weather expressions use 'hacer' (Hace calor, Hace frío). However, ser is used for climate descriptions, and estar is used for how the weather feels right now.
How to talk about the weather (and when neither ser nor estar is used)
Category: Ser vs Estar
The Rule
Most weather expressions use 'hacer' (Hace calor, Hace frío). However, ser is used for climate descriptions, and estar is used for how the weather feels right now.
Why This Matters
English uses 'it is' for all weather (It is hot, It is raining), but Spanish primarily uses hacer, llover, nevar, and other impersonal verbs. Ser and estar only appear in specific weather contexts.
Examples
• Hace calor. — "It is hot." [Most common: hacer for weather] • Está lloviendo. — "It is raining." [Estar + gerund for ongoing weather] • El clima es tropical. — "The climate is tropical." [Ser for inherent climate description] • El día está nublado. — "The day is cloudy." [Estar for current weather condition]
Common Mistakes
❌ Es calor. ✅ Hace calor. → Weather temperature uses hacer, not ser. 'Es calor' is not grammatical. ❌ Es lloviendo. ✅ Está lloviendo. → Progressive tense ('is raining') uses estar + gerund, never ser.
Quick Tip
Default to 'hacer' for weather (hace calor/frío/viento/sol). Use estar for current observable conditions (está nublado, está lloviendo). Use ser for permanent climate (es húmedo, es seco).
Default to 'hacer' for weather (hace calor/frío/viento/sol). Use estar for current observable conditions (está nublado, está lloviendo). Use ser for permanent climate (es húmedo, es seco).
Examples
Common Mistakes
Incorrect: Es calor. → Correct: Hace calor.. Weather temperature uses hacer, not ser. 'Es calor' is not grammatical.
Incorrect: Es lloviendo. → Correct: Está lloviendo.. Progressive tense ('is raining') uses estar + gerund, never ser.
Quiz
How do you say 'It is cold today'?