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fresco

FRES-kohˈfɾesko

cool

Also: chilly
A smiling child enjoying a pleasant, cool breeze while sitting on a porch swing, wearing a light sweater.

📝 In Action

Necesitas una chaqueta, el aire está fresco.

A1

You need a jacket, the air is cool.

Prefiero las mañanas frescas de primavera.

A2

I prefer the cool spring mornings.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • hace fresco – it is cool (weather)
  • agua fresca – cool water

fresh

Also: new
A single, glistening, perfectly ripe strawberry resting on a wooden cutting board, emphasizing freshness.

📝 In Action

Compramos pescado fresco en el mercado.

A1

We bought fresh fish at the market.

Ella siempre tiene ideas frescas para el trabajo.

B1

She always has fresh ideas for work.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • viejo (old)
  • podrido (rotten)

Common Collocations

  • fruta fresca – fresh fruit
  • pan fresco – fresh bread

cheeky

Also: shameless
AdjectivemB2informal
SpainMexico
A mischievous fox cub sticking its tongue out in a cheeky manner at a large, surprised owl.

📝 In Action

Es muy fresco, le pidió dinero a su jefe el primer día.

B2

He is very cheeky/brazen; he asked his boss for money on the first day.

¡Qué fresca! Se saltó toda la fila.

C1

How rude/shameless! She skipped the whole line.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

coolness

Also: fresco
NounmB1
A quiet, misty meadow scene at dawn where dew covers the grass and a gentle fog hangs low over the landscape, symbolizing coolness.

📝 In Action

Bajamos al sótano para disfrutar del fresco.

B1

We went down to the basement to enjoy the coolness.

El guía nos mostró el fresco más antiguo de la iglesia.

B2

The guide showed us the oldest fresco in the church.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • frescura (freshness)
  • refresco (soft drink/refreshment)

Common Collocations

  • al fresco – outdoors (in the fresh air)
  • pintar al fresco – to paint a fresco

🔀 Commonly Confused With

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "fresco" in Spanish:

bold→cheeky→chilly→cool→coolness→fresco→fresh→new→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: fresco

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence uses 'fresco' to describe food?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
frescura(freshness, coolness, impudence) — Noun
refrescar(to cool down, to refresh) — Verb
refresco(soft drink) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
escobizco
📚 Etymology▼

The word comes from the Proto-Germanic root *friskaz, meaning 'fresh' or 'new.' It entered Spanish via Vulgar Latin as *friscus*, replacing the classical Latin word for cool.

First recorded: Around the 10th-11th century

Cognates (Related words)

Italian: frescoFrench: fraisEnglish: fresh

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know whether to use 'fresco' (cool) or 'frío' (cold)?

'Fresco' means pleasantly cool or refreshing, like a nice spring day. 'Frío' means genuinely cold, often uncomfortably so. Think of 'fresco' as mild, and 'frío' as severe.

What is the feminine form of 'fresco'?

The feminine singular form is 'fresca' (e.g., la fruta fresca, la mañana fresca). It must always agree with the noun it describes.