infierno
“infierno” means “hell” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
hell
Also: underworld, inferno
📝 In Action
Según muchas religiones, los pecadores van al infierno.
B1According to many religions, sinners go to hell.
Dante escribió sobre los nueve círculos del Infierno en su Divina Comedia.
B2Dante wrote about the nine circles of Hell in his Divine Comedy.
hell
Also: nightmare, inferno
📝 In Action
El tráfico a esta hora es un infierno.
B1The traffic at this time is hell.
Vivir con tanto ruido fue un infierno para mí.
B2Living with so much noise was hell for me.
El incendio convirtió el edificio en un infierno.
C1The fire turned the building into an inferno.
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: infierno
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'infierno' to talk about a bad situation, not a religious place?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin word 'infernus', which means 'lower' or 'underground'. It originally just described things that were beneath the earth, before it took on its modern religious meaning.
First recorded: Around the 10th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'infierno' a swear word in Spanish?
Not exactly a swear word, but it is a very strong word. When used in its religious sense, it's serious. When used figuratively, like 'este calor es un infierno' (this heat is hell), it's informal and used to express strong frustration or suffering. It's more intense than just saying something is 'bad'.