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Tiempo vs. clima

In the Spanish language, tiempo and clima are commonly used words that pertain to weather but have different meanings.

Tiempo

A1
Tiempo translates to time or weather in English. It represents a short-term state – what you'd experience on a given day.
El tiempo está cambiando rápidamente.
(The weather is changing fast.)
¿Cómo estará el tiempo mañana?
(What will the weather be like tomorrow?)

Clima

A2
Clima, on the other hand, refers to climate. It signifies long-term patterns, average conditions over a longer period of time in a particular region.
El clima en esta región es muy seco.
(The climate in this region is very dry.)
Necesitamos aprender a adaptarnos al cambio del clima.
(We need to learn to adapt to the changing climate.)

Summary

Tiempo and clima, although both relate to atmospheric conditions, differ greatly. Where tiempo refers to immediate or short-term weather changes, clima points towards the broader situation - the overall or longitudinal trend of atmospheric conditions in a specified location.