Vocabulary: weather, transport and travel problems

Describe the weather, choose your transport and deal with problems on a journey.

Practise this lesson free (7 questions)

Weather

Hace + noun (hace sol, hace frío); hay + noun (hay niebla); está + adjective (está nublado); llueve, nieva, hiela.
SpanishEnglish
hace buen tiempothe weather is good
hace mal tiempothe weather is bad
hace calorit is hot
hace fríoit is cold
hace solit is sunny
hace vientoit is windy
llueveit is raining
nievait is snowing
hay nieblait is foggy
está nubladoit is cloudy
hay tormentathere is a storm
hielait is freezing
el pronóstico del tiempoweather forecast
el climaclimate

Transport

En + vehicle (en coche, en tren), but a pie (on foot).
SpanishEnglish
el cochecar
el autocarcoach
el metrounderground
la bicicletabike
la motomotorbike
a pieon foot
la taquillaticket office
el andénplatform
la parada de autobúsbus stop
el trayectojourney (route)
con retrasolate, delayed
el carné de conducirdriving licence
la autopistamotorway
el atascotraffic jam
el peatónpedestrian

Travelling and problems

Subir al tren = to get on the train. Bajar del tren = to get off the train.
SpanishEnglish
subir ato get on
bajar deto get off
cambiar de trento change trains
conducirto drive
perder el autobústo miss the bus
averiarseto break down
la averíabreakdown
el pinchazopuncture
el accidenteaccident
la entradaentrance
el pasajero, la pasajerapassenger
aparcarto park
la gasolinapetrol
el tráficotraffic
Worked example

Translate: It was raining, so I missed the bus and arrived late.

  1. It was raining = llovía (imperfect for weather)
  2. I missed the bus = perdí el autobús
  3. arrived late = llegué tarde

Answer: Llovía, así que perdí el autobús y llegué tarde.

Key idea

Hace buen / mal tiempo, hace calor / frío / sol / viento, llueve, nieva, hay niebla, está nublado. El autocar, el metro, a pie, la taquilla, el andén, la parada de autobús, con retraso, el atasco. Subir a, bajar de, cambiar de tren, perder el autobús, averiarse, el pinchazo, aparcar.

Key words
llueve
it is raining, it rains
a pie
on foot
subir
to upload (subir fotos); also to go up
bajar
to download (bajar música); also to go down
el autobús
bus
hace sol
it is sunny

All GCSE and International GCSE Spanish key terms and definitions →

Quick check

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Extra practice

2 more questions

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  1. What does hace buen tiempo mean?

    1. the weather is good
    2. it is freezing
    3. it is cold
    4. it is raining
    Show the answer

    Answer: the weather is good

    Hace buen tiempo = the weather is good.

  2. Which is the Spanish for "it is freezing"?

    1. hiela
    2. hay niebla
    3. hace buen tiempo
    4. hace frío
    Show the answer

    Answer: hiela

    It is freezing = hiela.

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Practise this lesson free (7 questions)All GCSE and International GCSE Spanish lessons

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Last updated 2 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we will fix it.

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