Hacer Vs. Estar

Question

I'm having trouble understanding the verb 'Hacer', when used in the context of weather.

• Qué tiempo hace?
• Hace Frío
• Hace Calor
• Hace Caliente (***Is this correct? 'It is hot')
• Está nublando
• Está lloviendo

My main question is about 'hacer', (the last two examples are for comparison; I understand 'Estar' usage).

I looked up hacer and it means 'to do'. That definition is what's throwing me off.

Thanks,

Answer 1

The weather perifrasis is Hacer+ noun (calor, frío, sol, viento, fresco). Caliente (hot, warm) is an adjective so it is incorrect, in case you were wondering why everyone was saying that.

Estar can be used with the adjectives. Está nublado. Está lluvioso. It is rainy.

Está caliente would be a condition (the pan is hot, warm), not a weather description.

Warm when referring to weather is templado (temperate).

Tiene un clima templado (adjective).

It has a warm climate.

It was a warm day.

Estaba un día templado. (Un día calientito)

warm water=el agua tibia

• Very good explanation, thank you. - EL_MAG0 Dec 14, 2010

Answer 2

You know just like any language there are some exceptions and the usage of '' Hacer '' when describing the weather is one of them , but I don't think that there is a specific reason for using it , and I also think that '' it's hot '' means '' hace calor '' check this lesson for more informations 1.15 - Directions in the Big City

• I always thought that 'calor' is used to say 'warm' (though it's defined as 'heat'); whereas 'caliente' is 'hot' (in usage as well as definition). - sensu123 Sep 15, 2010
• Lovely is correct. Hace calor means it's hot. You cannot say "hace caliente". - Gekkosan Sep 15, 2010

Answer 3

I heard this explained once, by someone who said they read about it online. I'm not sure if what they said was true or not, but it kind of makes sense. He said he read that since the Spanish culture was historically very religious, hacer was referring to God making that weather. So hace sol = it's sunny, but it's because it's saying God is making sun. This doesn't work with all, as you use estar with some and not hacer.