hace
/ah-say/
makes
Here, 'hace' means 'makes' or 'does.' This person 'hace' (makes) a toy.
hace(Verb)
makes
?creating or producing something
does
?performing an action
,he makes / she makes / it makes
?full phrase
📝 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.
💡 Grammar Points
One Verb, Two Meanings
'Hacer' is your go-to verb for both 'to do' (an action) and 'to make' (to create). The situation tells you which meaning is intended.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Asking Questions
Mistake: "To ask a question, English speakers often say 'preguntar una pregunta'."
Correction: The correct phrase is 'hacer una pregunta'. Think of it as 'making a question'.
⭐ Usage Tips
A Super-Verb
When you don't know the specific verb for an action, 'hacer' can often work as a general substitute, just like 'do' or 'make' in English.
To talk about the weather, Spanish often uses 'hace.' For example, this picture shows a day when 'hace sol' (it's sunny).
📝 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!
💡 Grammar Points
Always 'hace'
When talking about the weather, the verb 'hacer' is always used in this one form: 'hace'. It doesn't change for who is speaking.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using 'Es' for Weather
Mistake: "English speakers often say 'Es caliente' for 'It's hot'."
Correction: While you can say 'El día está caliente' (The day is hot), the most common and natural way to describe the general weather is with 'hace'. Say 'Hace calor'.
⭐ Usage Tips
Your Weather Go-To
Memorize the key phrases like 'hace calor', 'hace frío', and 'hace sol'. They are the foundation for talking about weather in Spanish.
'Hace' can also mean 'ago.' This shows a car that left a while ago. You could say, 'El coche se fue hace un rato' (The car left a while ago).
hace(Verb (used for time))
ago
?referring to past time, e.g., 'two weeks ago'
for
?duration of an ongoing action, e.g., 'for two years'
📝 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.
💡 Grammar Points
Two Ways to Say 'Ago'
You can put 'hace' before or after the main action. Both 'Llegué hace una hora' and 'Hace una hora que llegué' mean 'I arrived an hour ago'.
From 'Ago' to 'For'
If the action is still happening, 'hace' changes its meaning from 'ago' to 'for'. Compare: 'Fui a España hace un año' (I went to Spain one year ago) vs. 'Vivo en España hace un año' (I have lived in Spain for one year).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Translating 'Ago' Directly
Mistake: "Learners sometimes try to find a separate word for 'ago' and place it at the end of the sentence like in English."
Correction: In Spanish, 'ago' is built into the phrase with 'hace'. Always use the structure 'hace + time period'.
⭐ Usage Tips
Telling a Story
This use of 'hace' is your key to telling stories and explaining when things happened. It's one of the most useful structures you'll learn.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: hace
Question 1 of 3
Which sentence correctly uses 'hace' to talk about the weather?
📚 More Resources
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).