Sun
A poetic and common nickname for the sun, meaning 'the king star'.
A diminutive, affectionate term, like 'little sun' or 'dear sun'. Used when the sun feels pleasant and not too harsh.
The sun is a star.
I like to feel the sun on my face.
It's very sunny today.
How lovely the morning sun is!
The word 'sol' is universal. The affectionate diminutive 'solecito' is widely understood and used, especially in countries like Mexico and Colombia, to refer to pleasant, gentle sunshine.
'El sol' is standard. A unique slang term is 'Lorenzo'. You might hear someone say '¡Pega fuerte Lorenzo hoy!' meaning 'The sun is hitting hard today!'
'El sol' is standard. The use of 'el solecito' is very common and expresses a positive, affectionate feeling towards the sun.
In countries like Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, you'll hear 'el sol' used constantly in weather expressions, often with a sense of its intensity, e.g., 'Este sol está picante' ('This sun is spicy/intense').
Saying 'la sol' instead of 'el sol'. — In Spanish, nouns have a gender. 'Sol' is a masculine noun, so it must use the masculine article 'el'. Always remember: 'el sol'.
Using 'sol' as an adjective for 'sunny'. For example: 'El día es sol'. — To say 'it is sunny', you don't use 'sol' as an adjective. Instead, use the phrases 'hace sol' (literally 'it makes sun') or 'está soleado'. The correct sentence is 'El día está soleado' or 'Hoy hace sol'.
Capitalizing 'sol' in regular sentences. — In English, we capitalize 'Sun' when referring to our specific star. In Spanish, 'sol' is treated like a common noun and is not capitalized unless it's at the beginning of a sentence or part of a formal astronomical name. For example: 'Me gusta el sol', not 'Me gusta el Sol'.