Whether it’s sunshine, rain, snow, or storm—when you’re talking about what’s happening outside, Germans call it Wetter. It’s the perfect small talk starter, a daily forecast, and a mood influencer, all in one word.

The noun Wetter means weather, and it’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German. You’ll hear it in everyday conversation, news broadcasts, and grumbles at the bus stop.

It’s a neuter noun, so we say das Wetter.

Pronunciation

Wetter is pronounced [VEH-tter].

• The “W” is pronounced like an English “V.”
• The “e” is short and sharp, like in “better,”
• And the double “t” is clearly pronounced.

It sounds just like the English word “better,” but with a “v” at the start—a handy memory trick for English speakers!

Example sentences:

• Das Wetter ist heute wirklich schön.
  The weather is really nice today.
• Ich hoffe, das Wetter hält bis zum Wochenende.
  I hope the weather holds until the weekend.

Nuance and usage tips

Wetter refers to the overall state of the atmosphere—rain, sun, clouds, snow, temperature, wind, etc. It’s used just like “weather” in English and shows up in all kinds of everyday phrases:

• gutes Wetter – good weather
• schlechtes Wetter – bad weather
• Wetterbericht – weather report
• Wettervorhersage – weather forecast
• Wetterumschwung – weather change

German has dozens of expressions tied to Wetter, especially when describing moods, plans, or excuses.

There’s no real antonym, but if you’re comparing weather with the absence of weather data, you might see Klimaanlage (air conditioning) or Raumklima (indoor climate) pop up as conceptual contrasts.

Grammatical case examples:

• Nominative: Das Wetter hat sich seit gestern verändert.
  The weather has changed since yesterday.
• Accusative: Ich liebe das sonnige Wetter im Frühling.
  I love the sunny weather in spring.
• Dative: Mit dem schlechten Wetter fällt der Ausflug aus.
  Due to the bad weather, the trip is cancelled.
• Genitive: Wegen des Wetters blieben viele zu Hause.
  Because of the weather, many stayed home.

Neuter case pattern: das, das, dem, des

Word variations and language tidbits

Variation Station:

• Wetterbericht – weather report
• Wettervorhersage – weather forecast
• Unwetter – storm / extreme weather
• Wetterlage – weather conditions
• Wetterumschwung – sudden change in weather
• Wetterfühligkeit – sensitivity to weather (migraines, mood shifts, etc.)

Fun fact: The phrase “Es gibt kein schlechtes Wetter, nur schlechte Kleidung” (“There’s no bad weather, only bad clothing”) is a favorite saying among Germans who hike, bike, and grill regardless of rain or shine.

📘 Duden entry: https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Wetter

🎥 Learn Wetter and the rest of the top 1000 German nouns in our free online video course:
https://deutschable.com/nouns/

Ready for two more German words of the day? How about Wirkung or Woche?