helado
“helado” means “ice cream” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
ice cream
Also: gelato, frozen dessert
📝 In Action
Quiero un helado de chocolate, por favor.
A1I want a chocolate ice cream, please.
Compramos tres litros de helado para la fiesta.
A2We bought three liters of ice cream for the party.
Este helado de vainilla es el mejor que he probado.
B1This vanilla ice cream is the best I have ever tasted.
frozen
Also: icy, chilled, stunned/paralyzed
📝 In Action
El agua de la piscina está helada.
A2The water in the pool is icy cold (frozen).
Me quedé helado cuando escuché la noticia.
B1I was stunned (frozen/shocked) when I heard the news.
Tuvimos que descongelar la carne helada.
A2We had to thaw the frozen meat.
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: helado
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'helado' as an adjective?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes directly from the verb 'helar' (to freeze) and is the past form of that verb. 'Helar' itself comes from the Latin word 'gelare,' meaning 'to freeze' or 'to congeal.'
First recorded: 13th century (in its root form)
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'helado' and 'congelado'?
'Helado' usually refers to something that is naturally or extremely cold (like weather or ice cream), or figuratively stunned. 'Congelado' specifically means something has been put in a freezer to preserve it (like frozen vegetables).
Why is the noun 'helado' masculine, but the adjective can be feminine?
The noun 'el helado' (ice cream) is masculine because that's just its assigned gender. The adjective form ('helado,' 'helada,' 'helados,' 'heladas') changes its ending to match the gender and quantity of the thing it is describing, like 'la bebida helada' (the icy drink).