Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
Dry in Spanish: Seco
Seco · adjective · SEH-koh
Seco is the Spanish adjective meaning dry, used to describe everything from weather and clothing to a person's blunt personality. The verb form secar means to dry something, and the reflexive secarse means to dry oneself. In some regions, seco can also colloquially describe someone who is curt or unfriendly.
Pronounce seco as SEH-koh, with even stress on the first syllable and a clean open o at the end.
La ropa ya está seca.
The clothes are already dry.
Dry in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for dry, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| seco | dry | SEH-koh | Default, widely understood |
| secar | dry | verb form: to dry | |
| árido | dry | describing landscapes or climate |
How Native Speakers Use Seco
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Describing weather or climate
El verano aquí es muy seco y caluroso.
The summer here is very dry and hot.
Seco is the standard word for dry weather and arid conditions.
Drying clothes
¿Puedes secar las toallas al sol?
Can you dry the towels in the sun?
Secar is the verb form, commonly used for drying laundry or dishes.
Describing a dry personality
Mi profesor es bastante seco cuando habla.
My professor is pretty blunt when he speaks.
In conversational Spanish, seco can describe a curt or emotionally flat demeanor.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Seco
Forgetting gender agreement
Incorrect: La tierra está seco.
Correct: La tierra está seca.
Seco must agree with the noun it modifies: seco for masculine, seca for feminine. Tierra is feminine, so seca is required.
Confusing seco with secado
Incorrect: El clima es secado.
Correct: El clima es seco.
Secado is the past participle or a noun meaning the drying process. The adjective describing a state of dryness is seco.
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See Seco used by native speakers
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Common Questions About Dry in Spanish
- How do you say dry in Spanish?
- The Spanish word for dry is seco when used as an adjective. To say to dry as a verb, use secar. For example, La pintura está seca means The paint is dry.
- What is the difference between seco and árido?
- Seco is the everyday word for dry and works in nearly every context, from clothing to skin to climate. Árido is more literary and geographic, typically reserved for describing barren landscapes or deserts in formal or written Spanish.
- Can seco describe a person?
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, calling someone seco means they are curt, blunt, or emotionally cold. In Chile, however, seco can also mean someone is really skilled or talented, so context and region matter significantly.