Time to get the cold, hard facts on another pair of Spanish nouns which differ superficially only in ending and gender. This week it’s the turn of the masculine helado and the feminine helada, which mean different, but equally icy, things.
Most people would probably prefer un helado (masculine), whose pronunciation you can listen to below:
Coming in multiple mouth-watering flavours and varieties, un helado is an ice cream:
¿Te apetece un helado?
Do you fancy an ice cream?
Pedí un helado de fresa.
I ordered a strawberry ice cream.
Cada verano, los fabricantes de helados introducen nuevos sabores.
Every summer, ice cream manufacturers introduce new flavours.
You can listen to the pronunciation of the less welcome helada (feminine) below:
Cursed by gardeners and farmers (as well as by those who find themselves scraping their windscreens on a chilly morning), una helada is a frost, that freezing dip in temperatures that traces patterns on windows and surfaces:
La helada es un tormento para los agricultores.
Frost is a scourge for farmers.
Son frecuentes las heladas de primavera.
Spring frosts are common.
Por la noche, habrá de nuevo heladas.
There will be frosts again overnight.
DID YOU KNOW?
Helado and helada are related to the verb helar (to freeze, chill) as well as to the noun el hielo (ice):
Durante el invierno el Danubio se hiela.
The Danube freezes in winter.
Tomó otro cubito de hielo con las tenazas.
She took another ice cube with the tongs.
The regular past participle of helar is helado, which is also used as an adjective meaning frozen, freezing, icy or something icily appropriate – don’t forget to make it agree with any noun it describes:
un lago helado
a frozen lake
¡Estoy helada!
I‘m freezing!
Estábamos tomando una cerveza helada en el Bar Texas.
We were having ice-cold beer in the Bar Texas.
To hear about another pair of nouns whose meaning varies depending on their gender and ending, come back next week.
