Introduction
Talking about the weather isn’t just a cliché; in Germany, it is a national pastime. Whether you are complaining about the rain in Hamburg or enjoying the sun in Munich, knowing how to describe the conditions outside is essential for everyday small talk. It is often the easiest way to start a conversation with a stranger or break the ice with a colleague.
Are you ready to learn the most important words to survive a German forecast? Read through the list below and then test your knowledge with our Weather Quiz.
German Weather Vocabulary List (A1-A2)
| German | English |
|---|---|
| der Blitz | the lightning |
| das Eis | the ice |
| das Gewitter | the thunderstorm |
| heiß | hot |
| der Himmel | the sky |
| die Hitze | the heat |
| kalt | cold |
| die Kälte | the cold / coldness |
| der Nebel | the fog |
| der Regen | the rain |
| der Regenschirm | the umbrella |
| der Schnee | the snow |
| der Sonnenschein | the sunshine |
| der Sturm | the storm |
| die Sonne | the sun |
| die Temperatur | the temperature |
| warm | warm |
| das Wetter | the weather |
| der Wind | the wind |
| bewölkt | cloudy |
| sonnig | sunny |
| regnen | to rain |
| schneien | to snow |
| windig | windy |
| der Grad | the degree |
A Quick Note on Gender (Der, Die, Das)
You might have noticed a pattern in the list above. Many German nouns related to weather and precipitation are masculine (der). For example, it is der Regen, der Schnee, der Wind, and der Nebel. This is a helpful rule of thumb for beginners.
However, German grammar always has exceptions. The most famous one is the sun itself, which is feminine: die Sonne. Also, the general word for weather is neutral: das Wetter.
Struggling to remember if it’s ‘der’ or ‘die’ Sonne? Stop guessing and start knowing. Check out our Premium Article Trainer to master the logic behind German noun genders.
Example Sentences in Context
Knowing the words is the first step, but using them in a sentence is where the real learning happens. Here is how to use every word from our list:
| Vocabulary | German Example Sentence | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| der Blitz | Der Blitz war gestern Nacht sehr hell. | The lightning was very bright last night. |
| das Eis | Vorsicht, das Eis auf der Straße ist glatt. | Careful, the ice on the street is slippery. |
| das Gewitter | Im Sommer gibt es oft ein Gewitter. | In summer, there is often a thunderstorm. |
| heiß | Mir ist heute viel zu heiß. | I am much too hot today. |
| der Himmel | Der Himmel ist heute komplett blau. | The sky is completely blue today. |
| die Hitze | Ich mag die Hitze in der Stadt nicht. | I don’t like the heat in the city. |
| kalt | Zieh eine Jacke an, es ist kalt draußen. | Put on a jacket, it is cold outside. |
| die Kälte | Die Kälte im Winter stört mich nicht. | The cold in winter doesn’t bother me. |
| der Nebel | Man kann im Nebel nichts sehen. | One cannot see anything in the fog. |
| der Regen | Der Regen ist gut für die Pflanzen. | The rain is good for the plants. |
| der Regenschirm | Hast du meinen Regenschirm gesehen? | Have you seen my umbrella? |
| der Schnee | Die Kinder spielen gerne im Schnee. | The children like playing in the snow. |
| der Sonnenschein | Wir genießen den warmen Sonnenschein. | We are enjoying the warm sunshine. |
| der Sturm | Der Sturm kommt direkt auf uns zu. | The storm is coming directly towards us. |
| die Sonne | Die Sonne scheint den ganzen Tag. | The sun is shining all day. |
| die Temperatur | Die Temperatur liegt bei 20 Grad. | The temperature is at 20 degrees. |
| warm | Es ist schön warm hier drinnen. | It is nicely warm inside here. |
| das Wetter | Wie ist das Wetter heute in Berlin? | How is the weather in Berlin today? |
| der Wind | Der Wind weht heute sehr stark. | The wind is blowing very strongly today. |
| bewölkt | Es ist heute leider stark bewölkt. | Unfortunately, it is heavily cloudy today. |
| sonnig | Morgen wird es sonnig und warm. | Tomorrow it will be sunny and warm. |
| regnen | Es fängt an zu regnen. | It is starting to rain. |
| schneien | Im Dezember soll es schneien. | It is supposed to snow in December. |
| windig | Am Strand ist es immer sehr windig. | It is always very windy at the beach. |
| der Grad | Wir haben heute minus fünf Grad. | We have minus five degrees today. |
Want to see these words in a real story? Go ahead and practice these words in context with our Weather Short Story.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between ‘kalt’ and ‘die Kälte’?
Kalt is an adjective describing how something feels (e.g., “Mir ist kalt” – I am cold). Die Kälte is the noun meaning “the cold” or “the coldness” itself (e.g., “Die Kälte ist unangenehm” – The cold is unpleasant).
How do you say “It is raining” in German?
The most natural way to say this is using the verb regnen with the impersonal subject “es”. You say: “Es regnet.” While you could theoretically say “Der Regen fällt” (The rain falls), this sounds very poetic and is rarely used in daily conversation.
Are weather nouns usually masculine or feminine?
There is a strong tendency for weather nouns to be masculine (der). This includes precipitation (der Regen, der Schnee, der Hagel) and wind types (der Wind, der Sturm). The big exceptions you must memorize are die Sonne (the sun), die Wolke (the cloud), and das Wetter (the weather).
