Complaining about the weather is an international art form, one at which the Germans excel. But when done incorrectly, one can sound like an awkward outsider.
“Oh man, it’s raining cats and dogs!” said no real person ever. Say that in an actual English-speaking place and heads will tilt.
“Man, this weather sucks so bad!” said a real person at some point. Say that in an actual English-speaking place and heads will nod in agreement!
The same goes for German. Sure, you could say, “Das Wetter ist nicht schön” (“The weather is not nice”), but that’s boring! Finding a playful cynical phrase to describe the crappy weather is the perfect way to fit right in. It’s camaraderie built over a shared experience of wet socks and/or icy windshields.
So how can we express our distaste of yet another cloudy, muggy, rainy, snow-filled, hot, humid, garbage-weather day? Here are 11 words and phrases to help you out:
1. “Was für ein Wetter!” (direct translation: “What weather!” meaning: “Isn’t this weather bad?”)
2. “So ein Sauwetter!” (“Such lousy weather!”)
3. “So ein Mistwetter” (“Such crappy weather”)
4. “Es regnet wie aus Eimern!” (“It’s raining buckets!”)
Here’s a fancy one:
5. “Bei dem Wetter schicht man keinen Hund vor die Tür!” (“This weather’s so bad you wouldn’t even put your dog out!”)
6. “Es ist saukalt!” (“It is sooo cold!”). “Sau” serves to replace “so” in slang. Together with the word “kalt” it means “so cold”
7. “Schmuddelwetter. Schmuddelwetter.” (“Nasty weather. Foul Weather”) *nasty, foul, and dreary all seem to work as translations here.
Here are a couple bonus words that can help you to describe those in-between weather conditions:
8. “Schneematsch” (Literally: “snow mud”. Alternatively “slush”)
It refers to that brown, dirty slush that you find on the streets in the days after it has snowed.
9. “Nieselregen” (“drizzle”) Nieselregen is the German word for drizzle, or a very light rain.
Here’s one with a little more optimism:
10. “Morgengrau gibt Himmelblau” (Literally: “Morning grey gives way to a blue sky”, alternatively “Dawn brings a blue sky”)
While Germans have many colorful ways to be grumpy about the weather, it’s all a part of persevering and coping. Therefore, we wanted to leave you with one last expression to help you get through that rough, rainy, rancid day. It’s a bit of German practicality and wisdom:
11. “Es gibt kein schlechtes Wetter, nur die falsche Kleidung.”
(“There is no bad weather, only the wrong clothes”)
By William Fox, German Embassy