Do you know your seasons in Spanish? Do you know how to moan about the winter, yearn for the summer, or get excited about the arrival of spring?
Do you know how to say “Fall/Autumn” in Spanish?
Probably not. If so, you wouldn’t be here, right?
So, let’s take a look!
How To Say the Seasons in Spanish
Before we go into more detail, here’s a quick summary of the seasons in Spanish:
- La primavera – Spring
- El verano – Summer
- El otoño – Fall
- El invierno – Winter
Spring Season in Spanish (La Primavera)
La primavera comes from the Latin words meaning “first” and “spring” (primus and ver) and references the early spring. Primavera is also what the Italians say for spring and is the name of a famous Botticelli painting.
Incidentally, the word “primus” is where we get English words like “primal”, “primitive”, and “primordial”, all of which reference the “first” or “earliest” stages.
Examples
- Amo la primavera – I love spring
- Las flores florecen en primavera – The flowers bloom in spring
- Ya es primavera? – Is it spring already?
Summer Season in Spanish (El Verano)
If “ver” means “spring”, then why do the Spanish use the equivalent of “first spring” (la primavera) and not just “spring” (ver)?
More importantly, why does summer also use the prefix ver, meaning spring?
Blame it on the Romans.
The civilization that gave us roads, bathhouses, and garum viewed the seasons a little differently from us.
Their spring blended into what we now view as summer and summer was separated into two parts: tempus veranum and tempus aestivus. They were used to reference early and late summer respectively.
Examples
- No puedo esperar para el Verano – I can’t wait for summer
- Hace demasiado calor este Verano – It is too hot this summer
- Los días de verano son largos – Summer days are long
- Verano es mi estación favorita– Summer is my favorite season
Fall Season in Spanish (El Otoño)
El Otoño has the same origin as the English word “Autumn”, as it comes from the Latin “Autumnus”.
It is believed that the word was borrowed from Etruscan and Proto-Indo-European before that. It likely referenced a “drying up season”.
Examples
- Me encantan los colores del otoño – I love the colors of fall
- El otoño es un buen momento para visitar México – Fall is a good time to visit Mexico
- Prefiero el otoño al Verano – I prefer fall to summer
Winter Season in Spanish (El Invierno)
Etymologically speaking, winter (el invierno) is the most interesting season.
The word comes from invernum, which was a Vulgar Latin modification of hibernum.
If that looks familiar, it’s because hibernum is also where we get the word “hibernate”. After all, winter is cold and food is scarce, so many animals use this season to hibernate and conserve resources.
Examples
- El invierno es demasiado frío para mí – Winter is too cold for me
- No me gusta el invierno – I don’t like winter
- Nevará este invierno? – Is it going to snow this winter?
- La fría lluvia de invierno – The cold rain of winter
Other Seasons in Spanish
Depending on where you are in the world, you may also need the following seasons:
- La estación seca – The dry season
- La estación lluviosa – The rainy season
They won’t do you any good in Spain, but the Spanish-speaking world is vast, so keep them in mind if you find yourself in the tropics.
Examples
- ¿Cuándo son las estaciones lluviosa y seca? – When are the rainy and dry seasons?
- ¿Cuánta lluvia hay en la temporada de lluvias? – How much rain is there in the rainy season?
- ¿Qué tan secas son las estaciones secas? – How dry are the dry seasons?
Other Useful Words Relating to the Spanish Seasons
Now you know how to say the four seasons in Spanish, it’s time to expand your vocabulary with some additional useful words and phrases:
- El Mar – The Sea
- El Sol – The Sun
- Las Flores – The Flowers
- Los Árboles – The Trees
- El Clima – The Weather
- La Luna – The Moon
- Hemisferio Sur – Southern Hemisphere
- Hemisferio Norte – Northern Hemisphere
Etymology Check
We’ve already looked at the origins of many words relating to the four seasons, but there are a few other interesting links.
Sol, for instance, comes directly from Latin by way of Proto-Indo-European. It lends itself to the modern English word “solar”. It’s also where we get “solar plexus”, so named because of its central position in the body.
The word luna, meaning “moon”, is another word that comes to us from Latin. It was the name of the moon goddess and gives us several English words relating to the moon.
The most interesting of these is the word “lunatic”. It was believed that changes in the lunar cycle caused sporadic insanity. If someone called you a lunatic it’s because they thought the moon had caused you to lose your mind.
Last but not least, we have the word mar, meaning “sea”. In some Spanish dialects, it’s used as a slang word to mean “a lot”. It comes from the Latin “Mare”, such as “Mare Nostrum” which meant “Our Sea” and was used to refer to the Mediterranean.
Learning the Seasons in Spanish
You may have noticed that we talk about etymology a lot here at 88Weeks, and that’s not a coincidence.
Not only does it make a relatively dry subject a little more interesting, but it also makes those words stick.
If we give you a quick list of the four seasons in Spanish, you’ll probably say them out loud, remember them for a few seconds, and then forget as soon as you close your computer or phone.
But if you read about the roots of these words, remember key words like ver and think about hibernation in winter and “early spring” in the summertime, you’re more likely to remember.
To be doubly sure that these words stick, repeat the sample phrases out loud a few times and think of a relevant image.
Picture a bright sun and searing heat as you talk about el verano. Think of cold rain and crisp snow when you discuss el invierno. Simple words don’t stick, but ideas and interesting facts will never be forgotten.