How do you use "Sunny spell" in a sentence?

Sunny spells expected. We had a sunny spell. Cloudy with sunny spells. Make the most of the sunny spell.

Sunny spell

Q: What does "Sunny spell" mean?

A short period of sunshine Sunny spells perfectly captures the British weather experience: sunshine that comes and goes, never quite committing to a full sunny day. The phrase is pragmatic—it promises nothing but temporary brightness. When forecasters say 'cloudy with sunny spells,' they're being diplomatically vague about when those spells might occur. The expression reflects low expectations: in British weather, you take your sunshine where you can get it, and you don't count on it lasting.

Slang Term British ★★★★☆ Common Neutral

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Meaning: A short period of sunshine

短暂的阳光

Un breve periodo de sol

短い晴れ間

잠깐의 맑은 날씨, 짧은 햇살

Sunny spells perfectly captures the British weather experience: sunshine that comes and goes, never quite committing to a full sunny day. The phrase is pragmatic—it promises nothing but temporary brightness. When forecasters say 'cloudy with sunny spells,' they're being diplomatically vague about when those spells might occur. The expression reflects low expectations: in British weather, you take your sunshine where you can get it, and you don't count on it lasting.

'Sunny spells'完美地捕捉了英国的天气体验：阳光来来去去，从不真正承诺一个完整的晴天。这个短语很务实——它只承诺暂时的明亮。当天气预报员说'cloudy with sunny spells'时，他们对那些晴间何时出现故意含糊。这个表达反映了低期望：在英国的天气中，你要抓住能得到的阳光，不要指望它持续。

'Sunny spells' captura perfectamente la experiencia del tiempo británico: sol que viene y va, nunca comprometiéndose del todo con un día soleado completo. La frase es pragmática: no promete más que brillo temporal. Cuando los meteorólogos dicen 'nublado con claros', están siendo diplomáticamente vagos sobre cuándo podrían ocurrir esos claros. La expresión refleja expectativas bajas: en el tiempo británico, aprovechas el sol cuando puedes y no cuentas con que dure.

「サニースペル」はイギリスの天気体験を完璧に表現する。来ては去る日差し、決して完全な晴れの日にはコミットしない。このフレーズは現実的で、一時的な明るさ以外何も約束しない。予報士が「cloudy with sunny spells」と言う時、それらの晴れ間がいつ来るかについて外交的に曖昧にしている。この表現は低い期待を反映している：イギリスの天気では、得られる時に日差しを楽しみ、長続きすることを期待しない。

Sunny spells는 영국의 날씨 경험을 완벽하게 포착합니다: 왔다 갔다 하며, 완전히 맑은 날을 약속하지 않는 햇살입니다. 이 표현은 실용적입니다—일시적인 밝음 외에는 아무것도 보장하지 않습니다. 기상 예보관이 'cloudy with sunny spells'라고 말할 때, 그 햇살이 언제 나타날지에 대해 외교적으로 모호하게 말하는 것입니다. 이 표현은 낮은 기대치를 반영합니다: 영국 날씨에서는 햇살이 비칠 때 즐기는 것이고, 오래 지속될 것이라 기대하지 않습니다.

Examples

Sunny spells expected.
预计有晴间
Se esperan claros
晴れ間が予想される
잠깐 햇살이 비칠 것으로 예상됩니다.
We had a sunny spell.
我们有过一段晴天
Tuvimos un rato de sol
晴れ間があった
잠깐 햇살이 비쳤어.
Cloudy with sunny spells.
多云偶有阳光
Nublado con claros
曇り時々晴れ
흐리다가 가끔 맑음.
Make the most of the sunny spell.
好好利用这段晴天
Aprovecha el rato de sol
晴れ間を最大限に活用しよう
햇살 비칠 때 최대한 즐기자.

Pronunciation

/ˈsʌni spɛl/

Usage Guide

Context: sunshine, weather forecast, British

Tone: hopeful, descriptive

✓ Do Say

Sunny spells.
间歇性放晴
Claros intermitentes
晴れ間がある
잠깐 햇살이야.
Cloudy with sunny spells.
多云间晴
Nublado con claros
曇り時々晴れ
흐리다가 가끔 맑음.
A sunny spell.
短暂的晴天
Un rato de sol
束の間の晴れ間
잠깐의 햇살.

✗ Don't Say

Don't promise 'sunny spells' when you mean full sunshine—it implies intermittent sun
意思是完全晴天时不要说'sunny spells'（它意味着间歇性的阳光）
No prometer 'sunny spells' cuando quieres decir sol pleno (implica sol intermitente)
完全な晴れを意味する時に「sunny spells」と言わない（断続的な日差しを意味する）
완전히 맑은 날씨를 뜻할 때 'sunny spells'라고 하지 마세요—간헐적인 햇살을 의미합니다
Avoid in American contexts—they'd likely say 'partly sunny' or 'sun breaks'
在美式语境中避免使用（他们会说'partly sunny'或'sun breaks'）
Evitar en contextos americanos (ellos dirían 'partly sunny' o 'sun breaks')
アメリカの文脈では避ける（「partly sunny」や「sun breaks」と言う）
미국식 영어에서는 피하세요—그들은 'partly sunny'나 'sun breaks'라고 말합니다

Common Mistakes

Expecting sunny spells to mean prolonged sunshine—it deliberately implies brief, unpredictable sun
Using singular 'sunny spell' feels slightly odd—'sunny spells' is the more natural plural form

Origin & History

The word 'spell' has meant a period or stretch of time since the late 16th century, deriving from the sense of one person's turn at a task (taking a 'spell' at something). Combined with weather conditions, it created distinctly British forecast language. 'Sunny spells' entered common usage through BBC weather forecasts in the mid-20th century, becoming perhaps the most optimistically vague forecast phrase in the English language.

Etymology: Spell = period of time

First recorded: British English

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Pop culture: British weather forecasts; BBC Weather

Regional notes: British weather term. Common in forecasts.

Variations

Sunny spellSunny spellsBright spells