The language of Dutch weather
One of the hottest topics in the Netherlands is the weather. That’s not surprising of course, since it changes quite a lot. There are sunny summers, autumnal summers and summers that can’t decide between the two. Cold winters that we can skate in and mild winters in which you can enjoy outdoor dining. Even in the short term, the weather’s frequently unpredictable.
If you’re learning Dutch—no matter how early in the process you may be—it’s best to learn how to chat about the weather. It’s always a good way to strike up a conversation with someone.
Tip: Watch the weather forecast on television regularly. Then you’ll automatically pick up a few phrases.
Useful phrases for a chat about the weather
To express that you like the weather:
| Lekker weertje, hè? | Nice weather, isn’t it? | |
| Wat een lekker zonnetje! | What lovely sunshine! | |
| Wat een prachtig herfstweer! | What beautiful autumn weather! | |
| Het is vandaag een prachtige dag. | It’s a beautiful day today. | |
| We boffen maar met het weer. | We’re lucky with the weather. |
But it can’t stay that way forever:
| Nog even en het is gedaan met het mooie weer. | Soon the nice weather will be over. | |
| Laten we er nog even van genieten. | Let’s enjoy it while it lasts. | |
| Morgen wordt het alweer minder mooi. | Tomorrow it will be less nice. |
When the weather’s not so good:
| Wat een regen! | What rain we’re having! | |
| Het blijft maar regenen. | It just keeps on raining. | |
| Wat een rotweer! | What rotten weather! | |
| Het is fris voor de tijd van het jaar. | It’s chilly for this time of year. |
To say you that you hope the weather will change:
| Het is vandaag wel warm... | It’s kind of hot today... | |
| Aan het eind van de week wordt het beter. | It’ll get better by the end of the week. | |
| Er is beter weer voorspeld. | Better weather is forecast. |
Loads of words for rain
As you can read, rain doesn’t exactly make the Dutch happy. Just like the Inuit have many words for snow, the Dutch have many for rain. Try these on for size!
| Motregen | Drizzle | |
| Miezer | Drizzle | |
| Hoosbui | Downpour | |
| Stortregen | Downpour | |
| Plensbui | Downpour | |
| Wolkbreuk | Cloudburst | |
| Neerslag | Precipitation/rainfall | |
| Hemelwater | Rainwater | |
| Stortvloed | Deluge |
Score points by using a saying about the weather
There are numerous sayings associated with the weather. They’re used a lot, so it’s handy to know them, if only to understand what Dutch people mean by them.
To say it’s raining hard:
| Het regent bakstenen | It’s raining cats and dogs | |
| Het regent pijpestelen | It’s raining cats and dogs | |
| Het regent dat het giet | It’s pouring | |
| Het komt met bakken naar beneden | It’s coming down in buckets |
Emphasize the positive:
| Achter de wolken schijnt de zon | Every cloud has a silver lining | |
| Iets van de zonnige kant bekijken | To look on the bright side |
Indicate that the conditions are right:
| De wind zit eronder | Things are going well | |
| De wind in de zeilen hebben | To have the wind in your sails |
Other sayings:
| Het zonnetje in huis zijn | To be a little ray of sunshine | |
| Van de regen in de drup komen | To end up in an even more difficult situation | |
| Iemand in het zonnetje zetten | To give someone positive attention | |
| De wind waait uit een andere hoek | The situation has changed | |
| Voor niks gaat de zon op | Nothing comes for free | |
| Een nat pak halen | To get wet |
Also interesting for you
Dutch expressions about money
Hard work and thriftiness have long been important values in Dutch culture. That’s why you’ll come across lots of sayings that have to do with money in the daily language of the Dutch. If you’d like to enrich your use of Dutch, then expressions are a godsend. With them, you can say a lot with just a few words. The Dutch themselves use them all the time. There are several common expressions about money in this article. Can you use them in a conversation or writing?
Sing along to Dutch classics
The later it gets in evening, the bigger the chance that the entire cafe you are in will break out in a sing-along of Dutch hits. And then there you are—the expat. Why not seize the day and take that opportunity to improve your Dutch? No one will even hear you in a cafe full of music and merrymakers belting out tunes? So join in! There is no better way to work on a language than singing. Read why!
The Dutch and time
The Dutch place a great deal of emphasis on time. If you are not originally from the Netherlands, you may have to get used to the fact that the Dutch always arrive on time, do not want to waste it and plan their professional and private lives well in advance. This is also reflected in their language: the Dutch are direct in their communication (in order to save time) and often refer to time. Where does this fascination with time actually come from?