German Weather Vocabulary: Essential Words & Phrases
When you learn German weather vocabulary, you unlock one of the most practical conversation topics for daily life. Whether you're planning a trip to Germany or chatting with native speakers, knowing German words for weather is essential. This guide covers the most important weather terms, phrases, and expressions you'll need.
Essential Weather Vocabulary
Start building your German vocabulary for weather with these core words that appear in everyday conversations:
| Word | Pronunciation | English | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| das Wetter | dahs VET-ter | the weather | Wie ist das Wetter heute? (How is the weather today?) |
| die Sonne | dee ZON-neh | the sun | Die Sonne scheint. (The sun is shining.) |
| der Regen | dehr RAY-gen | the rain | Der Regen hört nicht auf. (The rain won't stop.) |
| der Schnee | dehr SHNAY | the snow | Im Winter fällt viel Schnee. (A lot of snow falls in winter.) |
| der Wind | dehr VINT | the wind | Der Wind ist heute stark. (The wind is strong today.) |
| die Wolke | dee VOL-keh | the cloud | Dunkle Wolken ziehen auf. (Dark clouds are gathering.) |
| der Nebel | dehr NAY-bel | the fog | Morgens gibt es oft Nebel. (There is often fog in the morning.) |
| das Gewitter | dahs geh-VIT-ter | the thunderstorm | Ein Gewitter kommt. (A thunderstorm is coming.) |
| der Blitz | dehr BLITS | the lightning | Der Blitz hat eingeschlagen. (The lightning struck.) |
| der Donner | dehr DON-ner | the thunder | Ich höre Donner. (I hear thunder.) |
| der Hagel | dehr HAH-gel | the hail | Hagel hat die Ernte zerstört. (Hail destroyed the harvest.) |
| der Frost | dehr FROSST | the frost | Heute Nacht gibt es Frost. (There will be frost tonight.) |
| die Temperatur | dee tem-peh-rah-TOOR | the temperature | Die Temperatur steigt. (The temperature is rising.) |
| der Regenbogen | dehr RAY-gen-boh-gen | the rainbow | Nach dem Regen sehen wir einen Regenbogen. (After the rain we see a rainbow.) |
| der Sturm | dehr SHTURRM | the storm | Ein Sturm zieht auf. (A storm is approaching.) |
| der Regenschirm | dehr RAY-gen-shirmm | the umbrella | Vergiss deinen Regenschirm nicht! (Don't forget your umbrella!) |
Weather Adjectives
These descriptive words are essential when discussing German weather conditions:
| Word | Pronunciation | English | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| sonnig | ZON-nig | sunny | Morgen wird es sonnig. (Tomorrow will be sunny.) |
| regnerisch | RAYG-neh-rish | rainy | Das Wochenende wird regnerisch. (The weekend will be rainy.) |
| bewölkt | beh-VŒLKT | cloudy | Heute ist es bewölkt. (Today it is cloudy.) |
| windig | VIN-dig | windy | An der Küste ist es immer windig. (It's always windy on the coast.) |
| kalt | KAHLT | cold | Es ist heute sehr kalt. (It is very cold today.) |
| warm | VARRM | warm | Endlich wird es warm. (Finally it's getting warm.) |
| heiß | HICE | hot | Im Sommer ist es oft heiß. (In summer it's often hot.) |
| schwül | SHVÜL | humid/muggy | Es ist heute schwül und unangenehm. (It's humid and unpleasant today.) |
Common Phrases
Master these everyday expressions to discuss German weather like a native speaker:
- Wie ist das Wetter? (vee ist dahs VET-ter) – How is the weather?
- Es regnet. (ess RAYG-net) – It's raining.
- Es schneit. (ess SHNITE) – It's snowing.
- Die Sonne scheint. (dee ZON-neh shynt) – The sun is shining.
- Es ist schönes Wetter. (ess ist SHŒ-nes VET-ter) – The weather is nice.
- Es ist schlechtes Wetter. (ess ist SHLEKH-tes VET-ter) – The weather is bad.
- Wie wird das Wetter morgen? (vee veerd dahs VET-ter MOR-gen) – What will the weather be like tomorrow?
- Es sieht nach Regen aus. (ess zeet nahkh RAY-gen ows) – It looks like rain.
- Es klart auf. (ess klahrt owf) – It's clearing up.
- Es gießt in Strömen. (ess geest in SHTRŒ-men) – It's pouring down.
Usage Notes
Keep these important points in mind as you learn German weather expressions:
- "Es" as the subject: German uses es (it) as the subject for weather expressions, just like English. Es regnet (It's raining), Es schneit (It's snowing).
- Temperature in Celsius: Germany uses Celsius exclusively. When someone says "Es sind 20 Grad" (It's 20 degrees), they mean 20°C (68°F). Zero degrees is freezing point.
- Weather as conversation starter: Talking about the weather is just as common in German-speaking countries as elsewhere. "Schönes Wetter heute, nicht?" (Nice weather today, isn't it?) is a polite conversation opener.
- The article matters: Weather nouns have genders: der (masculine) for Regen, Schnee, Wind; die (feminine) for Sonne, Wolke; das (neuter) for Wetter, Gewitter.
- Regional variations: Northern Germany tends to be windier and rainier, while southern regions (Bavaria, Austria) experience more snow in winter. You might hear "typisch norddeutsches Wetter" (typical North German weather) referring to grey, rainy conditions.
- Compound words: German loves compound nouns. Regenschirm (rain + umbrella), Regenbogen (rain + bow), Wettervorhersage (weather forecast) are all common examples.
Practice Sentences
Test your knowledge of German weather vocabulary with these example sentences:
- Das Wetter ist heute wunderbar – sonnig und warm.
The weather is wonderful today – sunny and warm. - Nimm einen Regenschirm mit, es soll später regnen.
Take an umbrella with you, it's supposed to rain later. - Im Winter fällt in den Alpen viel Schnee.
A lot of snow falls in the Alps in winter. - Bei diesem Gewitter sollten wir drinnen bleiben.
We should stay inside during this thunderstorm. - Die Wettervorhersage sagt Temperaturen um die 25 Grad voraus.
The weather forecast predicts temperatures around 25 degrees. - Nach dem langen Winter freuen sich alle auf die Sonne.
After the long winter, everyone is looking forward to the sun. - Es ist so neblig, dass man kaum die Hand vor Augen sieht.
It's so foggy that you can barely see your hand in front of your face. - Der Wind weht heute so stark, dass die Bäume sich biegen.
The wind is blowing so strongly today that the trees are bending. - Trotz des schlechten Wetters gehen wir spazieren.
Despite the bad weather, we're going for a walk. - Schau mal, ein wunderschöner Regenbogen!
Look, a beautiful rainbow!