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).
The opposite of Nebel would be klare Sicht (clear visibility) or simply Sonnenschein (sunshine), depending on the context. You’ll also encounter Nebel in compounds like Morgennebel (morning fog), Dunstnebel (hazy mist), or Kriegsnebel (“fog of war” in military lingo).
Whether you're talking weather, mood, or mystery, this is a word that brings atmosphere to any German sentence.
Example Sentences
Heute Morgen lag dichter Nebel über der Stadt.
This morning, thick fog covered the city.
Im Nebel konnte ich kaum die Straße sehen.
In the fog, I could hardly see the road.
Er sprach in Andeutungen, als ob er absichtlich Nebel verbreiten wollte.
He spoke in hints, as if he deliberately wanted to create fog (i.e., confusion).
Beginner Dialogue
Sina: Warum fährst du so langsam?
Leo: Wegen dem Nebel – man sieht fast nichts.
Translation
Sina: Why are you driving so slowly?
Leo: Because of the fog – you can hardly see anything.
Duden entry:
https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Nebel
Looking for more clear and essential German vocabulary?
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Viel Erfolg beim Deutschlernen – and may your path to fluency be free of Fog in German.