German Weather Vocabulary and Small Talk Phrases
Talking about the weather is the classic German small talk topic. In this lesson, Johannes from YourGermanTeacher shows you the seasons, the temperature words, the little word es, and matching nouns, verbs and adjectives for every kind of weather. You also get ready-made small talk questions and answers.
The Four Seasons and the Word "es"
The seasons are der Frühling (spring), der Sommer (summer), der Herbst (autumn) and der Winter (winter). To describe the weather, German uses the impersonal pronoun es: Es ist kalt. (It is cold.) Es regnet. (It is raining.) There is no real subject here, but a German sentence always needs one, so es takes that place.
Temperature: kalt, kühl, warm, heiß
| German | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| kalt | cold | Es ist kalt. |
| kühl / frisch | cool, fresh | Es ist heute kühl. |
| warm | warm | Es ist warm. |
| heiß | hot | Es ist heiß. |
To ask about the exact temperature, say Wie kalt ist es genau? or Wie viel Grad sind es heute? The answer uses es ist for one degree and zero, and es sind for everything else: Es ist minus ein Grad. but Es sind minus zwei Grad.
Wet, Damp, Humid and Dry
| German | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| nass | wet | Der Boden ist nass. |
| feucht | damp, moist | Es ist feucht im Keller. |
| schwül | muggy, humid | Only used when it is hot. |
| trocken | dry | Die Luft ist trocken. |
Weather Words: Noun, Verb and Adjective
Most weather words come as a family. Learn them together and your vocabulary grows three times as fast.
| Noun | Verb | Adjective |
|---|---|---|
| die Sonne (sun) | scheinen (to shine) | sonnig (sunny) |
| die Wolke (cloud) | - | wolkig, bewölkt (cloudy) |
| der Regen (rain) | regnen (to rain) | regnerisch (rainy) |
| der Wind (wind) | - | windig (windy) |
| der Sturm (storm) | stürmen (to storm) | stürmisch (stormy) |
| das Gewitter (thunderstorm) | gewittern, blitzen, donnern | gewittrig (thundery) |
| der Schnee (snow) | schneien (to snow) | verschneit (snow-covered) |
| der Nebel (fog) | - | neblig (foggy) |
Notice: with regnen, schneien, blitzen and donnern the subject is always es. You say Es regnet. and Es schneit., never Der Regen regnet. With the sun you can name the real subject: Die Sonne scheint.
Small Talk: Questions and Answers
| Question | Possible answer |
|---|---|
| Wie ist das Wetter in deiner Heimatstadt im Sommer? | Im Sommer ist es sehr heiß und sonnig. Manchmal gibt es ein Gewitter. |
| Welche Jahreszeit findest du am besten in Deutschland? | Ich finde den Sommer am besten. |
| Wie ist das Wetter heute? | Es ist bewölkt, aber warm. |
| Schneit es in deiner Heimat? | In meiner Heimat schneit es nicht. |
A small talk tip from the video: do not answer only with schön. Add a short reason or a second sentence, then ask the question back with Und bei dir? That is how small talk keeps going. Homework: write three sentences about today's weather where you live, using one noun, one verb and one adjective from the table.
What to Learn Next
Continue with the basics of German word order in Satzbau I: German Main Clause Word Order and practise more question forms in Basic German Question Words Explained. If you want a first conversation topic, try How to Introduce Yourself in German.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do German weather sentences start with es?
German sentences need a subject, and weather has no real doer. The pronoun es fills that slot: Es regnet, Es schneit, Es ist kalt.
What is the difference between kühl and kalt?
Kalt means cold, kühl means cool. Kühl is milder, roughly the feeling of a fresh autumn morning. Frisch is a close synonym.
When do I say es ist and when es sind with temperatures?
Use es ist for one degree and zero, and es sind for all other numbers: Es ist minus ein Grad, Es sind minus zwei Grad.
What does schwül mean?
Schwül means muggy or humid, and it is only used when the weather is hot and the air feels heavy.
How do I ask about the weather in German?
Ask Wie ist das Wetter heute? or Wie viel Grad sind es heute? To ask for an opinion, use Wie findest du das Wetter?
Ready to build a full vocabulary step by step? Start with the structured lessons in our A1 German online course and learn to hold real conversations from day one.
