Introduction: Praten over het Weer (Talking about the Weather)

Discussing the weather (het weer) is a very common topic of conversation in many cultures, including the Netherlands. Knowing basic phrases helps you engage in small talk.

Asking About the Weather

The simplest way to ask is:

• Hoe is het weer? (How is the weather?)
• You might also hear: Wat voor weer is het? (What kind of weather is it?)

Describing the Weather: Basic Conditions

• Sunshine:
• De zon schijnt. = The sun is shining.
• Het is zonnig. = It is sunny.
• de zon = the sun

• Rain:
• Het regent. = It is raining.
• de regen = the rain

• Snow:
• Het sneeuwt. = It is snowing.
• de sneeuw = the snow

• Wind:
• Het waait. = It is windy. (Literally: It blows.)
• de wind = the wind

• Clouds:
• Het is bewolkt. = It is cloudy.
• de wolk (plural: de wolken) = the cloud(s)

• Fog:
• Het is mistig. = It is foggy.
• de mist = the fog

Describing Temperature and General Conditions

• Het is warm. = It is warm / hot.
• Het is koud. = It is cold.
• Het is fris. = It is chilly / crisp.
• Het is lekker weer. = It's nice weather.
• Het is mooi weer. = It's beautiful weather.
• Het is slecht weer. = It's bad weather.
• Het is vies weer. = It's nasty/dirty weather (often implies rain and wind).

Combining Descriptions

You can combine phrases to give a more complete picture:

• Vandaag schijnt de zon, maar het is koud. (Today the sun is shining, but it is cold.)
• Het regent en het waait. (It is raining and it is windy.)
• Gisteren was het bewolkt en fris. (Yesterday it was cloudy and chilly.)
• Morgen wordt het warm en zonnig. (Tomorrow it will become warm and sunny.) - Uses worden (to become) for future weather.

Memorize these basic weather phrases. Pay attention to the use of Het (It) as the subject in most weather expressions (Het regent, Het is koud). Practice asking Hoe is het weer? and using simple descriptions.