Spanish vocabulary · Intermediate
Hail in Spanish: Granizo and Granizar
Granizo · noun (masculine) · grah-NEE-soh
Hail in Spanish is granizo (grah-NEE-soh), the ice pellets that fall during storms. The verb is granizar (to hail). Large, destructive hailstones are sometimes called pedrisco in Spain. A hailstorm is una tormenta de granizo or una granizada.
Granizo is grah-NEE-soh, three syllables, stress on NEE.
Una tormenta de granizo dañó los techos del vecindario.
A hailstorm damaged the roofs in the neighborhood.
Hail in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for hail, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| granizo | hail | grah-NEE-soh | Default, widely understood |
| granizar | hail | to hail (verb) | |
| pedrisco | hail | large hailstones (Spain) |
How Native Speakers Use Granizo
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
During a storm
Está granizando fuerte; mete el carro al garaje.
It's hailing hard; put the car in the garage.
Granizar is impersonal like llover: está granizando.
Hailstorm damage
La granizada destruyó los cultivos de los agricultores.
The hailstorm destroyed the farmers' crops.
Granizada is a hailstorm or a bout of hail.
Size of hailstones
Cayeron piedras de granizo del tamaño de una pelota de golf.
Hailstones the size of golf balls fell.
Piedras de granizo describes individual hailstones by size.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Granizo
Confusing hail (weather) with hail (greeting)
Incorrect: Granizo a un taxi.
Correct: Paré un taxi. (or Llamé un taxi.)
The English 'hail' for weather and 'hail a cab' are different words. Granizo is only weather. To hail a cab, use parar or llamar.
Using lluvia de granizo redundantly
Incorrect: Hubo lluvia de granizo.
Correct: Hubo granizo. or Hubo una granizada.
Granizo already means hail; lluvia means rain. Granizada or tormenta de granizo is the natural way to say hailstorm.
Lock in Hail Vocabulary with the Parrot Method
Why word lists alone don't stick
Memorizing a translation feels productive, but most learners forget 70% of what they studied within 48 hours. Vocabulary needs spaced repetition AND real-world exposure to transfer to long-term memory.
See Granizo used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using granizo in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear Una tormenta de granizo dañó los techos del vecindario. while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.
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Common Questions About Hail in Spanish
- How do you say hail in Spanish?
- Hail (ice pellets) is granizo (grah-NEE-soh). The verb is granizar, and a hailstorm is una granizada.
- Is granizo related to grano?
- Yes, both share the Latin root granum (grain). Granizo literally means something like little grains, referring to the pellets of ice.
- How do I describe a hailstorm?
- Una tormenta de granizo or una granizada. For severity: granizo fuerte (heavy hail), piedras de granizo grandes (large hailstones).