helados
/eh-LAH-dohs/
ice creams
Delicious ice cream cones represent 'helados' as a dessert.
helados(noun)
ice creams
?the frozen dessert
sundaes
?referring to individual servings of frozen treats
📝 In Action
Los niños quieren dos helados de fresa.
A1The children want two strawberry ice creams.
En esta tienda venden muchos helados diferentes.
A1In this shop they sell many different ice creams.
💡 Grammar Points
Making it Plural
Since 'helado' ends in a vowel, you just add an '-s' to talk about more than one.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Countable vs Uncountable
Mistake: "Quiero dos helado."
Correction: Quiero dos helados (because you are ordering two specific units).
⭐ Usage Tips
Ordering
If you are at a shop, use 'helados' if you are buying for a group of people.
A leaf covered in frost illustrates the meaning of 'helados' as frozen or very cold.
helados(adjective)
frozen
?turned to ice or very cold
ice-cold
?describing drinks or objects
,freezing
?describing how a person feels
📝 In Action
Tengo los pies helados por la nieve.
A2My feet are freezing because of the snow.
Nos sirvieron unos refrescos helados.
A2They served us some ice-cold sodas.
Los cristales del coche amanecieron helados.
B1The car windows were frozen this morning.
💡 Grammar Points
Matching the Noun
Use 'helados' only when describing more than one masculine thing (like 'pies' - feet or 'refrescos' - drinks).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Feeling Cold
Mistake: "Estamos helados (meaning you just feel a bit chilly)."
Correction: Tenemos frío.
⭐ Usage Tips
Extreme Cold
Use this word when 'frío' (cold) isn't strong enough. It implies something is as cold as ice.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: helados
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'helados' as a noun (the food)?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Does 'helados' always mean ice cream?
Not always! While it's the most common word for ice cream, it can also be an adjective meaning 'frozen' or 'extremely cold' when describing masculine plural nouns like 'refrescos' (sodas) or 'pies' (feet).
Should I use 'helados' for 'I am cold'?
Usually no. Use 'Tengo frío'. You only say 'estoy helado' (singular) or 'estamos helados' (plural) if you are so cold you feel like an ice cube.