hace
“hace” means “makes” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
makes
Also: does, he makes / she makes / it makes
📝 In Action
Mi hermana hace un pastel delicioso.
A1My sister makes a delicious cake.
Él hace ejercicio todas las mañanas.
A1He does exercise every morning.
La empresa hace buenos productos.
A2The company makes good products.
📝 In Action
Hoy hace mucho calor.
A1It's very hot today.
En invierno, hace frío y viento.
A1In winter, it's cold and windy.
¡Qué buen día hace!
A2What a nice day it is!
📝 In Action
Terminé el libro hace dos días.
A2I finished the book two days ago.
Compramos esta casa hace diez años.
A2We bought this house ten years ago.
Hace mucho tiempo que no la veo.
B1I haven't seen her for a long time.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
🔀 Commonly Confused With
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: hace
Question 1 of 3
Which sentence correctly uses 'hace' to talk about the weather?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin verb 'facere', which meant 'to do' or 'to make'. Many English words also come from this root, like 'factory' (a place where things are made) and 'fact' (something that is done or true).
First recorded: 10th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'hace' mean so many different things?
Think of the English verb 'to get'. It has many meanings depending on the words around it. 'Hacer' is similar in Spanish. It's a powerful 'super-verb' whose basic meaning of 'to do/make' gets adapted for special jobs like talking about weather and time.
Do I always use 'hace' for weather? What about 'está'?
You usually use 'hace' for general weather conditions like heat, cold, sun, and wind. You use 'está' to describe a temporary state, often with words ending in -ando/-iendo. For example, 'Está lloviendo' (It's raining) or 'Está nublado' (It's cloudy).
What's the difference between 'hace un año' and 'hace un año que'?
'Hace un año' by itself usually means 'a year ago'. When you add 'que', it connects to another verb to talk about duration. 'Viajé a México hace un año' (I traveled to Mexico a year ago). 'Hace un año que vivo en México' (I have been living in Mexico for a year).