Spanish Sayings about the Weather

I am sure you, the reader, know many popular sayings in your own language. Now it is time to learn new Spanish vocabulary and expressions by reading and listening to several sayings and weather words in Spanish classified into five categories.

Not in any of the categories below, these two sayings ('refranes' in Spanish) are very popular:

• A mal tiempo, buena cara

The only connection of this saying with weather is the word 'tiempo'. (Remember 'tiempo' is used in Spanish either as 'weather' or 'time'.

Vocabulary:

- mal tiempo = bad weather

- (la) cara = face

Literal translation: 'To bad weather, good (nice) face.'

Its message is: Even if the situation is not good, put a smile on your face.

• Faltará la madre al hijo, pero no la helada al granizo.

Vocabulary:

- Faltará = 3rd person singular, future tense, verb “falter” (to miss, lack)

- (la) helada = frost

- (el) granizo = hail

Literal translation: A mother may not be with her son, but frost will always be with hail.

Meaning: Whenever there is hail, there is always frost.

• Cuando el grajo vuela bajo, hace un frío del carajo.

Vocabulary:

- (el) grajo = rook

- vuela = 3rd persona singular, present tense, verb “volar” (to fly)

- bajo = low

- del carajo = expression, “very big, intense”.

Literal translation: When the rook flies low, it (the weather) is very, very cold.

• Cuando al sapo ves andar, agua primaveral.

Vocabulary:

- (el) sapo = toad

- ves = 2nd person singular, present tense, verb “ver” (to see)

- primaveral = springlike

Literal translation: When you see the toad walk, (sing of) spring waters.

Although there is also a variation for this saying:

• Cuando el sapo canta fuerte, agua promete

Vocabulary:

- canta = 3rd person singular, present tense, verb “cantar” (to sing)

- fuerte = strong, aloud

- promete = 3rd person singular, present tense, verb “prometer” (to promise)

Literal translation: When the toad sings aloud, (weather) water promises.

Enero (January):

• Enero mojado, bueno para el tiempo y malo para el ganado.

Vocabulary:

- mojado = wet

- (el) tiempo = in this context, weather

- (el) ganado = cattle

Literal translation: Wet January, good for the weather and bad for cattle.

Febrero (February):

• Febrerillo loco, un día peor que otro.

Vocabulary:

- Febrerillo = diminutive for “febrero” (January)

- loco = crazy

- peor que = worse than

Literal translation: Crazy little February, one day worse than the other.

Marzo (March):

• Niebla de marzo, agua en la mano.

Vocabulary:

- (la) niebla = fog

- (la) mano = hand

Literal translation: March fog, water in the hand.

• Cuando marzo mayea, mayo marcea.

Vocabulary:

- mayea = here, this non usual verb “mayear” means “to be like / to work as March”

- marcea = same as “mayear”, but using the word “marzo” to create the verb “marcear”

Translation: When March weather is like May (weather), May weather is like March (weather)

Abril (April):

• En abril, aguas mil.

Vocabulary:

- mil = one thousand.

Literal translation: In April, one thousand waters.

• En abril cada gota vale por mil.

Vocabulary:

- cada =each

- vale = 3rd person singular, present tense, verb “valer” (here, to be the equivalent to)

Literal translation: In April each water drop is the equivalent to one thousand drops.

May (Mayo):

• Hasta el 40 de mayo, no te quites el sayo.

Vocabulary:

- hasta = until

- quites = command form, 2nd person singular, verb “quitarse” (to remove, take off)

- (el) sayo = tunic (this word is not very common nowadays).

Literal translation: Until May the 40th, don't take off you tunic.

• Marzo ventoso y abril lluvioso, traen a mayo florido y hermoso.

Vocabulary:

- ventoso = windy

- lluvioso = rainy

- traen = 3rd person plural, present tense, verb “traer” (to bring)

- florido = florid, flowery

- hermoso = beautiful

Literal translation: Windy March and rainy April bring a flowery and beautiful May.

Diciembre (December):

• En diciembre no hay valiente que no tiemble.

Vocabulary:

- valiente = brave

- tiemble = 3rd person singular, present subjunctive tense, verb “temblar” (to tremble)

Literal translation: In December, there is no brave people who doesn't tremble.

Or: In December, even brave people tremble.

• Mañana de niebla, tarde de paseo.

Vocabulary:

- (la) mañana = morning

- (la) niebla = fog

- (la) tarde = afternoon, evening

- (el) paseo = walk

Literal translation: Foggy morning, good (weather) afternoon to go for a walk.

• Arco íris por la tarde, señal de mucho aire.

Vocabulary:

- (el) arco iris = rainbow

- (la) señal = sign

- (el) aire = air, wind

Literal translation: Evening rainbow, sign of a lot of wind.

• Año de nieves, año de bienes.

Vocabulary:

- (el) año = year

- (la) nieve = snow

- (el) bien = good thing

Literal translation: Year of snows, year of goods.

• La primavera la sangre altera

Vocabulary:

- (la) primavera = spring

- (la) sangre = blood

- altera = 3rd person singular, present tense, verb “alterar” (to alter, disturb, upset)

Literal translation: Spring season alters (our) blood.

• Por San Blas, la cigüeña verás y si no la vieres, año de nieves.

Vocabulary:

- (la) cigüeña = stork

- verás = 2nd person singular, future tense, verb “ver” (to see)

- vieres = 2nd person singular, future subjunctive, verb “ver” (to see)

Literal translation: By San Blas (day), you'll see the stork, and if you don't see it (the stork), year of snows.

• Por San Blas, la cigüeña verás y si no la vieras, mal año vendrá.

Vocabulary: Same as above, including:

- mal = bad

- vendrá = 3rd person singular, future tense, verb “venir” (to come)

Literal translation: By San Blas (day), the stork you'll see and, if you don't see it, a bad year will come.

• Por San Marcos, agua en los charcos.

Vocabulary:

- (el) charco = puddle

Literal translation: By San Marcos (day), water in the puddle.

For the downloads of the vocabulary list and the sound file of Spanish Weather Sayings, please refer to List of Vocabulary about Spanish Weather Sayings and Sound File of Spanish Weather Sayings.