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Spanish Phrase

¿Qué tan frío va a hacer?

/ke tan ˈfɾi.o βa a aˈθeɾ/
Meaning"How cold is it going to be?"
💡

Meaning

The sentence asks about the expected temperature, literally 'How cold is it going to be?'. It inquires about the forecasted level of coldness for a future time, usually today or the next few days.

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When to use

Use this phrase when you want to know the upcoming weather, especially before heading out, planning an outdoor activity, or deciding what to wear.

✦Grammar Breakdown

¿Quétanfríovaahacer?

1

Qué tan + adjective

Used to ask about the degree or intensity of a quality, similar to 'how ...' in English.

2

Future periphrastic 'ir a + infinitive'

The construction 'va a hacer' expresses a near future action, literally 'is going to do/make'.

3

Adjective agreement

The adjective 'frío' agrees in gender and number with the implied noun (el tiempo), staying masculine singular.

4

Question marks

Spanish uses opening (¿) and closing (?) question marks for all interrogative sentences.

🗨In Conversation

A

¿Qué tan frío va a hacer mañana?

How cold will it be tomorrow?

Según el pronóstico, va a hacer unos 5 grados, bastante frío.

According to the forecast, it'll be about 5 degrees, pretty cold.

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • ¿Qué frío va a hacer?

    Do not use 'qué' alone; you need the comparative 'tan' to ask about degree.

  • ¿Qué tan frío es a hacer?

    Avoid using 'ser' here; 'ser' describes inherent qualities, while 'hacer' is used for weather conditions.

  • ¿Qué tan fría va a hacer?

    If you want to refer to the weather generally, keep the adjective masculine singular; do not change to 'fría'.

↔Alternatives

  • ¿Cuánto frío hará?

    How cold will it be?

  • ¿Qué temperatura hará?

    What temperature will it be?

  • ¿Va a hacer mucho frío?

    Is it going to be very cold?

es

Cultural Tip

In many Spanish‑speaking countries, people often discuss the weather as a polite conversation starter. Using '¿Qué tan frío va a hacer?' shows you care about practical details like clothing or travel plans. In some regions, especially in the Andes, temperatures can drop dramatically, so locals may add specifics like 'en la montaña' (in the mountains) for clarity.