Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
How to Say Snow in Spanish
Nieve · noun · NYEH-veh
"Snow" in Spanish is nieve, a feminine noun used for the white frozen precipitation. To express the action of snowing, use the impersonal verb nevar: Está nevando (It is snowing). Nieve also appears in compound expressions like copo de nieve (snowflake) and muñeco de nieve (snowman).
NYEH-veh
Las montañas están cubiertas de nieve en invierno.
The mountains are covered with snow in winter.
Snow in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for snow, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| nieve | snow | NYEH-veh | Default, widely understood |
| nevar | snow | verb form — to snow |
How Native Speakers Use Nieve
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Weather report
Mañana va a nevar en toda la sierra.
Tomorrow it's going to snow across the entire mountain range.
Nevar is impersonal — it only conjugates in third person singular, just like other weather verbs.
Winter landscape
Los niños salieron a jugar con la nieve.
The children went out to play in the snow.
Nieve takes the feminine article la and is typically used as an uncountable noun.
Compound expression
Hicimos un muñeco de nieve enorme en el jardín.
We made a huge snowman in the yard.
Muñeco de nieve (literally 'doll of snow') is the standard term for snowman across all Spanish-speaking regions.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Nieve
Conjugating nevar with a subject
Incorrect: Yo nievo todos los inviernos.
Correct: Nieva todos los inviernos.
Nevar is an impersonal verb with no personal subject. It always appears in the third person singular: nieva, nevó, nevará, etc.
Confusing nieve with helado
Incorrect: Quiero una nieve de chocolate. (said in Spain)
Correct: Quiero un helado de chocolate.
In Spain and most of Latin America, ice cream is helado. Nieve for ice cream is a regionalism found mainly in Mexico and should not be assumed universal.
Lock in Snow 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 Nieve used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using nieve in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear Las montañas están cubiertas de nieve en invierno. while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.
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Common Questions About Snow in Spanish
- Is nieve masculine or feminine?
- Nieve is feminine: la nieve. All related expressions use feminine agreement — for example, la nieve blanca (the white snow), mucha nieve (a lot of snow).
- How do you say 'snowflake' in Spanish?
- A snowflake is copo de nieve. Copo literally means 'flake' or 'tuft,' and the phrase works just like English — copo de nieve, copos de nieve (plural).
- Does nieve really mean 'ice cream' in Mexico?
- In many parts of Mexico, especially in traditional settings, nieve refers to a type of artisanal ice cream or sorbet. However, helado is also understood. If you order nieve outside Mexico, you will likely get confused looks.