noun

nieve

nee-EH-vay

Nieve (noun) means Snow; the ordinary Spanish word, met in English chiefly in place names, menus and Spanish phrases. Example: “The Sierra Nevada takes its name from nieve, the Spanish word for snow.”

noun

Spanish Snow; the ordinary Spanish word, met in English chiefly in place names, menus and Spanish phrases.

"The Sierra Nevada takes its name from nieve, the Spanish word for snow."

"In Mexico a nieve is also a scoop of ice cream or sorbet."

error A common misspelling of naive, meaning lacking experience or judgement.

"Writing "he was nieve about the risks" should be "naive"."

How to Use Nieve

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishSpanish for snow, and also what people often type when they mean "naive".

When to use it

Italicise it as a Spanish word in English prose. If you meant "innocent", the word you want is naive or naïve.

Memory tip

Naive keeps the vowels in the order a-i-v-e; if you have written n-i-e-v-e you have written the Spanish for snow.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

naive → naïve → nevada → niece →

Common pairings

nieve de limón Sierra Nevada nieve de garrafa

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

The Sierra Nevada takes its name from _____, the Spanish word for snow.

Etymology

Spanish nieve descends from Latin nix, accusative nivem, "snow", the same root behind English niveous and Spanish nevada.

Origin: Latin

Rhymes for nieve

eve neve sieve reeve Steve Maeve cleve sleeve grieve achieve believe relieve

See all rhymes for nieve →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is nieve an English word?

Not really. It appears in English text either as a borrowed Spanish word for snow, usually inside a place name or a food term, or as a misspelling of naive. Standard English dictionaries do not list it as an English headword.

What is the difference between nieve and naive?

They are unrelated. Naive, from French, describes someone who is innocent or too trusting; nieve is Spanish for snow. The two get confused because naive sounds like "nye-EEV" and people reach for the wrong vowel order when spelling it.

What does nieve mean on a Mexican menu?

It means a frozen dessert — usually a water-based sorbet or a simple ice cream, sold from a nevería. Nieve de garrafa is the traditional hand-churned version.