Connect weather nouns to usable descriptions
Das Wetter names the overall weather. An adjective such as windig gives a condition, while a noun such as der Wind names the phenomenon. Learn both sides of that connection. A weather report can use short labels; a spoken answer normally needs a complete sentence.
| Word or phrase | Related expression | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| die Sonne | sonnig | sun / sunny |
| die Wolke, die Wolken | bewölkt | cloud / cloudy |
| der Regen | regnerisch | rain / rainy |
| der Schnee | Es schneit. | snow / it is snowing |
| der Wind | windig | wind / windy |
| der Nebel | neblig | fog / foggy |
| das Gewitter | ein Gewitter | thunderstorm |
| der Schauer | ein kurzer Schauer | shower / a short shower |
| die Temperatur | zwölf Grad | temperature / twelve degrees |
| warm | Es ist warm. | warm |
| heiß | Es ist heiß. | hot |
| kalt | Es ist kalt. | cold |
Cloudy does not automatically mean rainy, and cold does not automatically mean snowy. Ein Schauer describes a shower; it is not the same as saying that rain lasts all day. Ein Gewitter is a thunderstorm, so keep it separate from the general word for rain. These distinctions help you retrieve information from a forecast rather than assign a single “good” or “bad” label to the whole day.
Keep seasons separate from today’s conditions
Learn the seasons in order
- der FrühlingSpringim Frühling
- der SommerSummerim Sommer
- der HerbstAutumnim Herbst
- der WinterWinterim Winter
die JahreszeitenFrühling → Sommer → Herbst → Winter → Frühling
The season and today’s weather are separate pieces of information.
All four season names here use der. For “in spring”, use im Frühling; the same pattern works for the other three. A season is a broader part of the year, not a guarantee about the conditions on one date. A sentence such as Im Frühling ist es manchmal kalt leaves room for different days. It does not claim that every spring day is cold.
Sort your notes into two columns: season and observation. Put Winter in the first and Heute ist es sonnig in the second. For month and weekday names, use the separate German calendar vocabulary guide.
Choose es ist, es regnet and a temperature statement
Use Es ist with a condition adjective: Es ist neblig or Es ist kalt. Rain and snow also have their own verbs: Es regnet and Es schneit. Do not combine an extra ist with those verb forms. Another useful structure is Die Sonne scheint; here Sonne is the subject instead of es.
In these practice forecasts, temperatures are degrees Celsius. Es sind zwölf Grad gives +12 °C; Es sind minus zwei Grad gives −2 °C. You can make the unit explicit: zwölf Grad Celsius. In the written shorthand, the minus sign changes the meaning. A day at −2 °C is not the same as a day at +2 °C.
Distinguish the outside conditions from a person’s feeling. Es ist kalt describes the weather; Mir ist kalt means I feel cold. If the weather is warm but you personally feel cold, both pieces of information can still be true.
Read an original forecast in three time blocks
The following forecast is invented for language practice. It is not a current forecast, a warning or advice about outdoor safety. First find the time blocks; then attach the condition and temperature to the right block.
Am Morgen ist es neblig. Die Temperatur liegt bei drei Grad. Am Mittag scheint die Sonne, und es sind zwölf Grad. Am Abend ziehen Wolken auf. Es gibt kurze Schauer, und die Temperatur sinkt auf sieben Grad.
| Time | Condition | Temperature |
|---|---|---|
| am Morgen | neblig | 3 °C |
| am Mittag | sonnig | 12 °C |
| am Abend | Wolken und kurze Schauer | 7 °C |
The warmest stated period is midday. The evening is cooler than midday but warmer than the morning. Only the evening mentions showers. The sentence about morning fog does not say that rain is falling. To summarise, select the information your listener needs: Am Mittag ist es sonnig. Am Abend gibt es Schauer. You do not need to reproduce every word.
Now change the morning temperature to minus drei Grad. Only that number changes. Keep the other periods and conditions unchanged; this checks whether you are interpreting each detail independently.
Eight checks on meaning and forecast details
Choose the noun for fog and its related adjective.
Show answer and reason
der Nebel – neblig. A noun names the phenomenon; the adjective fits the pattern Es ist neblig.
Correct: Es ist regnet.
Show answer and reason
Es regnet. Regnet is already the finite verb. Do not add ist to this pattern.
How do you say “in autumn”?
Show answer and reason
im Herbst. The season name is der Herbst; this time phrase uses im.
Read −2 °C in a complete temperature statement.
Show answer and reason
Es sind minus zwei Grad Celsius. Minus must stay in the statement because the temperature is below zero.
In the original forecast, is midday warmer than evening?
Show answer and reason
Yes. Midday is 12 °C and evening is 7 °C. Compare the temperatures attached to those two periods.
Does the forecast mention morning rain?
Show answer and reason
No. Morning is neblig, foggy. Showers appear in the evening block, so do not move that detail to the morning.
Does kurze Schauer mean continuous rain throughout the day?
Show answer and reason
No. It describes short showers. The forecast does not state that it rains without interruption all day.
You personally feel cold. Choose Es ist kalt or Mir ist kalt.
Show answer and reason
Mir ist kalt. This describes your feeling. Es ist kalt describes the outside conditions instead.
Retrieve a forecast, then give one relevant reply
Cover the original text and reconstruct its three blocks from the table: time, condition, temperature. Then hide the table and write a two-sentence summary from memory. Check whether you accidentally changed a number, omitted a minus sign or put rain into the wrong part of the day.
For a short response, connect one forecast detail with your own plan: Am Mittag ist es sonnig. Ich möchte spazieren gehen. This expresses a plan, not a conclusion that an activity is safe in every setting. For actual conditions or warnings, consult a current local weather source. For a brief neighbourly reply, use A1 small talk with neighbours; for extracting details from longer spoken material, continue with German listening practice.
Questions about this topic
What are the four seasons in German?
They are der Frühling, der Sommer, der Herbst and der Winter. In a time phrase, use im Frühling, im Sommer, im Herbst or im Winter.
Why is it es regnet rather than es ist regnet?
Regnet is the verb form that already completes the simple statement. Es ist is used with adjectives such as kalt, windig or neblig.
How do I say minus five degrees in German?
Say minus fünf Grad, or Es sind minus fünf Grad Celsius when you want a complete statement with an explicit unit. Keep minus because it distinguishes a below-zero temperature.
Does bewölkt mean it is raining?
No. Bewölkt means cloudy. A forecast must mention rain, showers or another precipitation expression before you can conclude that rain is expected in that period.
Sources and further learning
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Use this in your German practice
Try the examples and answer checks on this page. For a wider routine, explore Lingeva’s grammar, vocabulary and speaking practice. Available app features and plan allowances are explained on the plan page.