helar

Senses

1. 1.

   to freeze

   to convert liquid into solid ice; to reach freezing temperature

2. 2.

   to frost

   to form ice crystals on a surface due to extreme cold

3. 3.

   to chill; to dampen

   to destroy or harm (hopes, enthusiasm, etc.)

Examples

• "El agua se hela cuando la temperatura baja de cero grados."

  Water freezes when the temperature drops below zero degrees.

• "Anoche heló y todas las plantas se quemaron."

  It froze last night and all the plants got frost-burned.

• "Sus palabras helaron mi entusiasmo."

  His words dampened my enthusiasm.

Usage

Common in weather contexts (impersonal: "heló" = "it froze"). Also used metaphorically with emotions and enthusiasm. Often used with reflexive pronoun (helarse) or as impersonal verb. Conjugates regularly in most tenses.