The Spanish word for summer is verano. This season runs from June 21 to September 22 in the Northern Hemisphere, bringing warmer temperatures and longer days.
Verano is a masculine noun, so it takes masculine articles and adjectives. For example, "el verano caluroso" translates to "the hot summer." The plural form, veranos, refers to multiple summers or past summers collectively.
Beyond verano, Spanish has specific terms for summer activities and phenomena:
Spanish speakers use verano to discuss weather, travel plans, and seasonal events. For instance, "Este verano voy a la playa" means "This summer, I'm going to the beach." The word appears frequently in tourism materials, weather forecasts, and casual conversations about plans.
Many Spanish-speaking countries have unique summer traditions. In Spain, San Juan celebrations on June 23 involve bonfires and fireworks. In Mexico, Las Fiestas Patrias in September mark the end of summer with patriotic events.
Some learners confuse verano with estío, an archaic or literary term for summer rarely used in modern speech. Another mistake is mixing up verano with primavera (spring) or otoño (fall). Unlike English, Spanish does not use summer as part of a person's name (e.g., "Summer Smith" would be Verano Smith).
I once heard a tourist ask for la verano, using the feminine article. Since verano is masculine, the correct phrase is el verano.
Imagine planning a trip to Spain. You might say, "El verano en España es perfecto para visitar la playa y disfrutar del sol." This translates to "Summer in Spain is perfect for visiting the beach and enjoying the sun." Notice how verano fits naturally into travel-related sentences.