Say Fog in German - Learn It in Just One Minute

Early morning walks, spooky legends, and traffic warnings all have one thing in common: fog. And knowing how to say Fog in German will help you navigate not just weather reports, but also everyday descriptions and poetic metaphors. The German word is der Nebel, and it earns its spot among the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German for good reason.

Nebel is a masculine noun - der Nebel - and it’s pronounced NAY-bel, with the “e” in the second syllable sounding like a light, unstressed “uh.” If you still find German gender a bit murky (pun intended), take a few minutes to watch our video lesson on der, die, das - it clears up confusion fast.

In German, Nebel refers to literal fog or mist - what you see rolling over fields or blurring your windshield. But it’s also used metaphorically to talk about confusion, secrecy, or uncertainty. Politicians might refer to a Nebelkerze (a “fog candle”) when someone’s trying to distract from the real issue, and someone confused or unfocused might be described as im Nebel stochern (stabbing around in the fog).

To describe conditions without fog, use klare Sicht (clear visibility) or nebelfrei (free of fog). You’ll also encounter Nebel in compounds like Morgennebel (morning fog), Bodennebel (ground fog), or Kriegsnebel (“fog of war” in military lingo).