Spanish Word of the Day: Cielo

Cielo is a very versatile word in Spanish. It can be used to talk about the weather or in a religious context, among other meanings.

The most common translation of cielo is sky. So if you wanted to say ‘the sky is very grey today’ you’d say hoy el cielo está muy gris.

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As for the religious context, cielo can also refer to heaven or God. So to refer to your uncle who’s in heaven you’d say mi tío está en el cielo.

You can use cielo in an affectionate way with your loved one(s) as well, like saying darling or sweetheart. 

For example, ¿Qúe tal tu día, cielo? means ‘How was your day, sweetheart?’. Or to refer to your cousin who is such a delight, you’d day ‘¡Mi primo es un cielo!’.

Cielo can also be a used on its own to express shock – ¡Cielos! – such as ‘Heavens!’ or ‘Great Scott!’ in English.

Furthermore, there are some great idiomatic expressions that use cielo, such as poner el grito en el cielo (scream blue murder), írsele al santo cielo (lose your train of thought), remover cielos y tierra (move heaven and earth), ganarse el cielo (earn a place in heaven), caer del cielo (fall from the sky) or contemplar el cielo (gaze at the sky).

Examples:

Hoy el cielo está despejado.

The sky is clear today.

 

El abuelo ya no está con nosotros, está en el cielo.

Grandpa isn’t with us anymore, he’s in heaven.

 

¿Me has comprado flores? ¡Eres un cielo!

You bought me flowers? You’re such a sweetheart!