How to Describe Hot, Cold, Warm, and Cool Weather in Italian
Learn Italian temperature expressions like 'Fa freddo' and 'Ci sono 30 gradi' to say exactly how hot, cold, warm, or cool it is.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
Italian has several ways to talk about temperature, and they are not interchangeable. The most common beginner pattern is fa plus a temperature word: Fa freddo (It's cold). You can also use essere with a temperature adjective, as in È freddo, but this often describes a thing or a place rather than the weather in general. To give an actual number, Italians usually say Ci sono plus number plus gradi, for example Ci sono 30 gradi. This lesson teaches these patterns so you can describe hot, cold, warm, and cool weather naturally.
By the end, you can…
- say that the weather is hot, cold, warm, or cool using fa plus a temperature word.
- give a temperature in degrees using ci sono plus a number plus gradi.
- ask what the temperature is and react to an answer.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Fa freddo oggi.
It's cold today.
fah FRED-doh OHD-jee
Standard general statement about cold weather. Fa is the impersonal form of fare used for weather.
Fa caldo.
It's hot.
fah KAHL-doh
Used for hot weather, not for a hot object. For an object, use è caldo or è calda.
Fa fresco.
It's cool.
fah FRES-koh
Describes pleasantly cool weather, common in spring and autumn.
Ci sono trenta gradi.
It's thirty degrees.
chee SOH-noh TREHN-tah GRAH-dee
Ci sono is plural because gradi is plural. Use this pattern for any number.
Quanti gradi ci sono?
How many degrees is it?
KWAHN-tee GRAH-dee chee SOH-noh
Standard question about the temperature. Answer with Ci sono plus number plus gradi.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core weather pattern is fa plus a temperature word: Fa caldo (It's hot), Fa freddo (It's cold), Fa fresco (It's cool). Fa is the third-person singular of fare and works like English 'it is' for weather. To give a number, switch to ci sono plus number plus gradi: Ci sono venti gradi (It's twenty degrees). Gradi is plural, so the verb is plural too. For a single degree, use c'è un grado. You can combine both: Oggi fa caldo, ci sono trenta gradi.
When to use it
Use fa caldo and fa freddo for general weather. Use è caldo or è fredda for objects and places: La minestra è calda (The soup is hot), La stanza è fredda (The room is cold). Fa fresco means pleasantly cool, while fa freddo means genuinely cold. For a mild chill, Italians may say c'è freschetto. In summer, fa caldo can describe ordinary heat; for extreme heat, use fa molto caldo or è afoso (it's muggy). In winter, fa molto freddo or si gela (it's freezing) are common. Note that è fredda in La stanza è fredda agrees with the feminine noun stanza; with a masculine noun you would say è freddo, as in Il tè è freddo.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Ciao! Fa freddo oggi, vero?
Hi! It's cold today, isn't it?CHOW! fah FRED-doh OHD-jee, VEH-rohSì, ci sono solo cinque gradi.
Yes, it's only five degrees.see, chee SOH-noh SOH-loh CHEEN-kweh GRAH-deeBrrr! E domani?
Brrr! And tomorrow?brrr! eh doh-MAH-neeDomani fa più caldo, circa dodici gradi.
Tomorrow it's warmer, about twelve degrees.doh-MAH-nee fah pyoo KAHL-doh, CHEER-kah DOH-dee-chee GRAH-deeA little context goes a long way
Italians usually give temperatures in Celsius, so 30 gradi means 30°C, which is hot. If you are used to Fahrenheit, convert before reacting. Fa caldo and fa freddo are neutral and standard throughout Italy. Regional expressions exist, such as si gela in the north for extreme cold, but standard Italian works everywhere.
One thing to watch for
Saying Sono caldo to mean 'I am hot' when you mean the weather is hot.
Try this instead: Sono caldo means 'I feel hot' or 'I am warm' about yourself. For weather, say Fa caldo. Example: Oggi fa caldo, non sono caldo.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'It's cold today' in Italian?
Show a sample answer
Fa freddo oggi.
Fa freddo is the standard impersonal weather expression. Oggi can go at the beginning or end.
2How do you say 'It's twenty-five degrees'?
Show a sample answer
Ci sono venticinque gradi.
Use ci sono because gradi is plural. Venticinque is one word in Italian.
3What is the difference between Fa fresco and Fa freddo?
Show a sample answer
Fa fresco means it's pleasantly cool; Fa freddo means it's cold.
Fresco suggests mild coolness, while freddo suggests genuine cold. Both are correct in the right context.
Use fa plus caldo, freddo, or fresco for general weather, and ci sono plus number plus gradi for a temperature. Remember that gradi is plural, so the verb is ci sono.
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