how to make a snowman

Question

I want to know if the expression "to make a snowball" can be used when you are making a snowman. I mean, "to make the three snowballs". Is this correct?.

Only if you have some Snow. - ray76, Nov 1, 2010

Lol@Ray And I was thinking you could have used Icing sugar lol hahahaha - FELIZ77, Nov 1, 2010

Answer 1

Nila said:

I want to know if the expression "to make a snowball" can be used when you are making a snowman. I mean, "to make the three snowballs". Is this correct?.

I'd say:

To make a snowman you need to make three big balls of snow......

I agree with the other comments that a snowball is usually small and fits in your hand.

Then, a snowball is differente from a ball of snow. Is that it, Marianne? - nila45, Nov 1, 2010

Answer 2

I made a big ball of snow for the base of the snowman and another snow ball for his head. Then I got bored and made ten snowballs to throw at my brother! hahahaha.

 

I would like to write this in spanish but I'm not sure which tense to use, I'm going to try please correct me.

 

Hice una bola de nieve grande para la base del muñeco de nieve y otra para la cabeza. Entonces me aburrí y hize diez bolas de nieve para tirarlas a mi hermano.

It should be 'Muñeco de nieve'= snowman:) - FELIZ77, Nov 1, 2010

Yes, You are correct I believe that you should be using the preterite/simple past in these sentences :) - FELIZ77, Nov 1, 2010

Just a small point, dewclaw. 'Hice' for 'I made', for 'he/she/you formal made' you need the 'z' as in 'hizo'. It's to do with keeping the sound the same. :) - galsally, Nov 2, 2010

Answer 3

I agree with kitty to some extent, but in my opinion, 'snowball' is generally used to mean the small balls used in snowball fights, about the size of your fist.

When explaining how to make snowmen, I would separate it into 2 words, like this for example:

'To make a snowman, you need to make one big ball of snow for the body and one smaller one for the head.' (Or indeed 3 balls of suitable sizes.)

Even were I to say '....you need to make a big snowball for the body', although not incorrect, it wouldn't convey the appropriate size for an average 'somewhere-near-human' sized snowman.

You mean, a big ball of snow is the same as a big snowball. Is that it? - nila45, Nov 1, 2010

Answer 4

You mean, a big ball of snow is the same as a big snowball. Is that it?

Essentially, yes. Both describe a spherical object made of snow!

However, the word "snowball" gives me a mental picture of a ball, about the size of a tennis ball, that people make in their hands to throw at each other in snowball fights.

The words 'ball of snow' don't give me that mental picture, this ball could be of any size, so it's a more flexible way to describe the ball.

I don't know if it helps, but I might use the word snowball to describe 'making a snowman' to a child, because the child would probably already know the word 'snowball' from snowball fights. However, to emphasise the difference in size, I would prolong the word 'big' and mime the size of the ball needed with my hands.

Make a biiiiiiig snowball!

Answer 5

yes, this is correct