Spanish Conversation · Level 20
90 words
Spanish word
nieve
Pronunciation
IPA/ˈnjeβe/
Meaning
- feminine nounsnow
Example
Me gusta jugar en la nieve.
I like to play in the snow.
More examples
La nieve hace que las calles estén resbaladizas.
Snow makes the streets slippery.
Core concept
White mantle of small ice-crystal flakes covering the ground.
Common phrases
hacer un muñeco de nieve
build a snowman
tirar una bola de nieve
toss a snowball
nieve fresca
new snow
capa de nieve
snow layer
Similar words
hielo: Hard transparent solid that forms when water freezes.
nevada: Period or event when a large amount of snow falls.
granizo: Small rounded pellets of ice that fall from the sky like rain.
aguanieve: Wet precipitation that mixes snow and rain as it falls.
Definition in Spanish
Designa la precipitación de pequeños cristales de hielo en forma de copos y el manto blanco que forman sobre la tierra.
Word origin
Spanish 'nieve' comes from Latin 'nix, nivis' and developed in medieval Spanish, making it cognate with English snow.
Usage tips
- In Mexico and parts of Latin America, 'nieve' commonly refers to a sorbet or local ice cream, so context decides whether it means snow or a frozen dessert.