hielo
“hielo” means “ice” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
ice
Also: glacier
📝 In Action
Por favor, pon un poco de hielo en mi limonada.
A1Please put some ice in my lemonade.
El suelo está resbaladizo porque hay una capa de hielo.
A2The ground is slippery because there is a layer of ice.
Compramos una bolsa de hielo para la fiesta.
A1We bought a bag of ice for the party.
coldness
Also: icy atmosphere
📝 In Action
Había un hielo evidente en la sala después de la mala noticia.
B2There was an evident coldness/chill in the room after the bad news.
Su rostro mostró un hielo total ante mi disculpa.
C1Her face showed total coldness/reserve toward my apology.
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: hielo
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'hielo' in its figurative meaning of emotional coldness?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
The word comes from the Latin term 'gelu', which meant 'frost' or 'coldness.' Over time, the sound softened and the 'h' was added (though not pronounced in modern Spanish), giving us 'hielo'.
First recorded: Medieval Latin
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'hielo' countable? Can I ask for 'dos hielos'?
Yes, although 'hielo' is generally treated as an uncountable substance (like 'water'), when ordering drinks, it is completely normal and correct to ask for 'dos hielos' or 'tres hielos' when referring to two or three individual ice cubes (cubitos de hielo).
Why is 'hielo' masculine ('el hielo') if it starts with a pronounced 'ie' sound?
'Hielo' follows the normal rule for masculine nouns. The specific rule about using 'el' instead of 'la' only applies to feminine nouns that begin with a stressed 'A' or 'HA' sound (like 'el agua' or 'el hambre'). Since 'hielo' is masculine, this rule doesn't affect it.