Dutch Words for Weather: Complete Vocabulary Guide

Understanding Dutch words for weather is essential for daily life in the Netherlands, where the weather is a constant topic of conversation. The Dutch climate is famously changeable, so you'll find yourself using these words often!

Essential Weather Vocabulary

These core Dutch words for weather will help you describe conditions and understand forecasts.

Word	Pronunciation	English	Example
het weer	het wayr	the weather	Het weer is mooi vandaag. (The weather is nice today.)
de zon	duh zon	the sun	De zon schijnt. (The sun is shining.)
de regen	duh ray-ghun	the rain	De regen valt hard. (The rain is falling hard.)
de wind	duh wint	the wind	Er staat veel wind. (It's very windy.)
de wolk	duh wolk	the cloud	Er zijn veel wolken. (There are many clouds.)
de sneeuw	duh snayw	the snow	Het sneeuwt! (It's snowing!)
de mist	duh mist	the fog	Er hangt mist boven het veld. (There's fog over the field.)
de storm	duh storm	the storm	Er komt een storm aan. (A storm is coming.)
de bliksem	duh blik-sum	the lightning	Ik zag de bliksem. (I saw the lightning.)
de donder	duh don-dur	the thunder	Hoor je de donder? (Do you hear the thunder?)
de hagel	duh hah-ghul	the hail	Het hagelt buiten. (It's hailing outside.)
de regenboog	duh ray-ghun-bohgh	the rainbow	Kijk, een regenboog! (Look, a rainbow!)
bewolkt	buh-wolkt	cloudy	Het is bewolkt vandaag. (It's cloudy today.)
zonnig	zo-nikh	sunny	Morgen wordt het zonnig. (Tomorrow will be sunny.)
koud	kowt	cold	Het is koud buiten. (It's cold outside.)
warm	warm	warm	Het wordt warm deze week. (It will be warm this week.)
vochtig	vogh-tikh	humid/damp	De lucht is vochtig. (The air is humid.)
droog	drohgh	dry	Het blijft droog vandaag. (It will stay dry today.)

Common Phrases

The Dutch love talking about the weather. Here are useful expressions you'll hear and use constantly.

• Wat voor weer wordt het? (Wat for wayr wort het) — What will the weather be like?
• Het regent pijpenstelen. (Het ray-ghunt pie-pun-stay-lun) — It's raining cats and dogs. (Literally: "It's raining pipe stems.")
• Lekker weertje! (Leh-kur wayr-tyuh) — Nice weather! (Very casual)
• Het waait hard. (Het wai-t hart) — It's blowing hard. / It's very windy.
• Er zit onweer in de lucht. (Er zit on-wayr in duh lukht) — There's a thunderstorm in the air.
• Het klaart op. (Het klaart op) — It's clearing up.
• Het is hondenweer. (Het is hon-dun-wayr) — It's terrible weather. (Literally: "dog weather")
• De temperatuur daalt. (Duh tem-puh-rah-toor dahlt) — The temperature is dropping.
• Het vriest. (Het freest) — It's freezing.
• Het dooit. (Het doy-t) — It's thawing.

Usage Notes

When learning Dutch words for weather, keep these important points in mind:

• Gender matters: Most weather nouns use "de" (common gender). Notable exceptions include het weer (the weather) and het onweer (the thunderstorm), which use "het" (neuter).
• Impersonal "het": Weather expressions in Dutch use the impersonal pronoun "het" just like English uses "it." For example: Het regent (It rains), Het sneeuwt (It snows).
• Cultural significance: The Dutch are famous for discussing the weather constantly. Being able to comment on the weather is a valuable social skill. Phrases like "Lekker weertje!" are perfect conversation starters.
• Wind vocabulary: Given the flat, coastal landscape, wind-related vocabulary is extensive. Er staat wind (literally "there stands wind") is the standard way to say it's windy.
• The diminutive: Adding "-je" makes weather sound more pleasant or casual: zonnetje (nice sun), weertje (nice weather), windje (light breeze).

Practice Sentences

Practice these sentences to build confidence using Dutch weather vocabulary in context.

• Neem je paraplu mee, het gaat regenen.
  Bring your umbrella, it's going to rain.
• De weersvoorspelling zegt dat het morgen zonnig wordt.
  The weather forecast says it will be sunny tomorrow.
• Ik hou van dit weer — niet te warm, niet te koud.
  I love this weather — not too warm, not too cold.
• In de winter vriest het vaak in Nederland.
  In winter it often freezes in the Netherlands.
• De kinderen spelen in de sneeuw.
  The children are playing in the snow.
• Gisteren was het bewolkt, maar vandaag schijnt de zon.
  Yesterday it was cloudy, but today the sun is shining.
• Pas op, de wegen zijn glad door de ijzel.
  Be careful, the roads are slippery due to freezing rain.
• Na de storm kwam er een prachtige regenboog.
  After the storm, a beautiful rainbow appeared.
• Het is zo vochtig dat mijn haar helemaal kroest.
  It's so humid that my hair is all frizzy.
• Ik hoop dat het droog blijft voor het feest.
  I hope it stays dry for the party.