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How to Say "haze" in Spanish

English → Spanish

niebla

/NYEH-blah//ˈnje.βla/

nounA2general
Use 'niebla' when referring to thick atmospheric obscurity caused by water vapor, like fog that reduces visibility.
A storybook illustration of a single dark green tree shrouded almost entirely by thick, swirling white fog.

Examples

La niebla era tan espesa que tuvimos que conducir despacio.

The fog was so thick that we had to drive slowly.

Cuando hay niebla, los vuelos se retrasan a menudo.

When there is mist, flights are often delayed.

Gender Alert

Remember that 'niebla' is always a feminine word, so you must use feminine articles and adjectives with it (e.g., 'la niebla', 'una niebla fría').

Using 'estar' instead of 'haber'

Mistake: “La niebla está.”

Correction: Hay niebla. (Use the impersonal form of 'haber'—'hay'—to talk about weather phenomena that simply exist, like 'There is fog'.)

nube

NOO-beh/ˈnu.βe/

nounA1general
Use 'nube' to describe a visible mass of suspended particles in the air, such as smoke, dust, or pollution, rather than water vapor.
A large, simple, fluffy white cumulus cloud floating against a bright blue sky.

Examples

Hay una nube de humo saliendo de la fábrica.

There is a cloud of smoke coming out of the factory.

Hay muchas nubes grises hoy, creo que va a llover.

There are many grey clouds today, I think it's going to rain.

El avión volaba por encima de las nubes.

The plane was flying above the clouds.

Vimos una nube de polvo cuando pasó el camión.

We saw a cloud of dust when the truck passed.

Always Feminine

Remember that 'nube' is always feminine, even though it ends in '-e'. You must use 'la' or 'una' with it: 'la nube', 'una nube grande'.

Confusing Gender

Mistake: “El nube”

Correction: La nube. Most words ending in '-e' are masculine, but 'nube' is a key exception you must memorize.

velo

/beh-loh//ˈbelo/

nounB2literary
Use 'velo' to describe a light, thin layer of mist or cloud, often poetically, suggesting a veil-like covering.
A light, purple-toned mist floating over a green meadow.

Examples

Un velo de niebla cubría la montaña esta mañana.

A veil of mist covered the mountain this morning.

Siento un velo en los ojos y no veo bien.

I feel a blur over my eyes and I can't see well.

Niebla vs. Nube

The most common mistake is using 'nube' for weather-related fog. Remember, 'niebla' specifically refers to fog or mist reducing visibility, while 'nube' is for other suspended particles like smoke or dust, or even clouds in the sky.

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