Weather in Afrikaans: weer means weather, sonnig means sunny, bewolk means cloudy, reën means rain, wind means wind, sneeu means snow and weerlig means lightning. To ask “How is the weather today?”, say Hoe is die weer vandag? A natural short answer is Dit reën (“It’s raining”) or Dit is sonnig (“It’s sunny”).
Weather vocabulary becomes useful when you need to understand a forecast, choose clothing, plan a journey, arrange an outdoor activity or recognise a warning. The same words can refer to what you see outside now, what is predicted for tomorrow or a climate pattern over many years. This guide explains the differences alongside a word bank, example sentences, the four seasons, and a simple method for reading a forecast without inventing certainty.
- Instant translation: find common weather words in the table below.
- Ask and answer: Hoe is die weer vandag? — Dit is bewolk (“It is cloudy”).
- Read a forecast: distinguish a condition, a temperature, a time and the chance of rain.
- Learn seasons: lente, somer, herfs, winter.
- Safety: if the weather creates danger, use current official local warnings; this page is vocabulary, not a forecast.
Quick answer: 30 essential Afrikaans weather words
| English | Afrikaans |
|---|---|
| weather | weer |
| sun | son |
| sunshine | sonskyn |
| sunny | sonnig |
| cloud | wolk |
| clouds | wolke |
| cloudy | bewolk |
| rain | reën |
| rainy | reënerig |
| drizzle | motreën |
| rainbow | reënboog |
| wind | wind |
| windy | winderig |
| fog | mis |
| storm | storm |
| thunderstorm | donderstorm |
| thunder | donder |
| lightning | weerlig |
| hail | hael |
| snow | sneeu |
| ice | ys |
| hot / warm | warm |
| cold | koud |
| cool | koel |
| dry | droog |
| humid / muggy | bedompig |
| temperature | temperatuur |
| heat | hitte |
| frost | ryp |
| drought | droogte |
This is a useful weather lexicon, not a ranking by search volume. Several words look close to English, but some do not: weerlig for lightning and motreën for drizzle deserve special attention. Ryp can mean frost in a weather context, but it also appears with the idea of ripeness elsewhere. The surrounding topic tells you which meaning is intended.
Simple weather sentences you can say today
| English intention | Afrikaans model |
|---|---|
| How is the weather today? | Hoe is die weer vandag? |
| It is sunny. | Dit is sonnig. |
| It is cloudy. | Dit is bewolk. |
| It is raining. | Dit reën. |
| It is windy outside. | Dit is winderig buite. |
| It is cold. | Dit is koud. |
| It is warm. | Dit is warm. |
| The sun is shining. | Die son skyn. |
| The sky is clear. | Die lug is helder. |
| There is a storm. | Daar is ’n storm. |
| It is snowing. | Dit sneeu. |
| It is raining today. | Dit reën vandag. |
The difference between Dit is sonnig and Dit reën is a useful grammar clue. The first describes a condition using is plus an adjective; the second uses a weather verb. Do not force every English “it is …” phrase into the same Afrikaans structure. Read full checked examples and reuse the pattern that fits the weather condition.
For one-minute daily practice, look outside, decide what you actually observe and give a short Afrikaans description. Avoid making a forecast when all you know is the current sky. A sunny morning is not evidence that the whole day will remain dry; a sentence about the weather now does not establish what will happen tomorrow.
Rain words: reën, motreën, reënerig and stortbui
Reën is rain, and it can also function as a verb: Dit reën means “It is raining.” Reënerig describes rainy conditions. Motreën is drizzle, the fine light rain that can make the air and ground wet without a dramatic downpour. Stortbui is a shower of rain.
These words do not provide the same information. A statement such as “It is rainy” describes a broad condition, while “There is drizzle” identifies the character of precipitation. An official forecast may use more detailed technical terms. A learner should recognise a word accurately without pretending they can infer rainfall totals from an everyday adjective.
The spelling marks in reën matter. English readers may be tempted to type reen, but the standard word uses a diaeresis. The same marking appears in reënerig. When searching an Afrikaans dictionary, the correct spelling helps avoid confusion and strengthens pronunciation practice.
Wind and sky: winderig, wolk and bewolk
Wind means wind and winderig describes windy conditions. Wolk is a cloud; wolke is clouds; bewolk means cloudy or overcast in suitable contexts. These are related but distinct concepts. A sky can contain some clouds without necessarily being fully overcast.
If a forecast says that conditions will be bewolk, focus first on the general expectation of cloud. Other information may tell you whether showers are possible. A cloudy day need not be a rainy day, just as sunshine does not guarantee that no rain will occur later.
For a quick transfer task, compare three photographs: a clear sky, a sky with scattered clouds and a dark overcast sky. Choose a checked Afrikaans phrase for each instead of saying bewolk indiscriminately. Then explain in English why a description of clouds is not itself a statement about rain.
Storm, thunder and lightning: do not confuse the hazard
| English | Afrikaans | Important distinction |
|---|---|---|
| storm | storm | Broad severe-weather situation |
| thunderstorm | donderstorm | Storm involving thunder and lightning |
| thunder | donder | Sound caused by lightning |
| lightning | weerlig | Electrical discharge / visible flash |
| hail | hael | Ice pellets from storm clouds |
| flood | vloed | Water inundation; context determines exact hazard |
| strong wind | sterk wind | High winds, often an additional hazard |
Knowing the word weerlig can help you recognise a warning about lightning. But a translation does not tell you the current danger at a particular place. During a thunderstorm, follow official weather alerts and local safety instructions. Do not stay exposed outdoors merely because you are practising the vocabulary or taking photographs.
Another distinction matters: donder (thunder) and weerlig (lightning) are not synonyms. One refers to sound, the other to the electrical event. A description of thunder may help alert you to nearby storm activity, but interpreting the severity of a particular weather event requires an actual forecast or warning.
If a notice warns about flooding, road closures or dangerous wind, check the source, location, issue time and expiry. Vocabulary is only the first step. A reader should never transform a word learned from a table into a specific claim about today’s safety conditions.
Temperature words: warm, koud, koel, heet and grade
| English | Afrikaans |
|---|---|
| warm | warm |
| cold | koud |
| cool | koel |
| hot / very hot (context) | heet; baie warm |
| icy cold | yskoud |
| temperature | temperatuur |
| degrees | grade |
| Celsius | Celsius |
| heat | hitte |
| humidity | humiditeit |
| humid / stuffy | bedompig |
| dry | droog |
“Hot” in English can mean several things. A person may say Dit is baie warm (“It is very hot”) or use heet in a suitable context. A temperature on a weather app is a measurement, while someone’s sense that the air is oppressive is a subjective experience. The two kinds of information can be useful together but should not be confused.
A forecast may display temperatuur and a number of grade Celsius. Reading the number requires number vocabulary, but knowing the figure is not the same as understanding wind, humidity, exposure or personal risk. If you need to decide whether an outdoor plan is safe, rely on the current official forecast and relevant health or safety advice.
Compare Dit is koud with Dit is ’n koue dag. The adjective appears as koud after is, but koue before dag. This is a helpful reminder that dictionary headwords do not always remain unchanged in every sentence. Learn the complete phrase before applying a rule too broadly.
Seasons in Afrikaans: lente, somer, herfs and winter
| English | Afrikaans | Broad sense |
|---|---|---|
| spring | lente | Typically associated with warming and plant growth |
| summer | somer | Often associated with higher temperatures |
| autumn / fall | herfs | Season between summer and winter |
| winter | winter | Cooler season in many regions |
The seasons are four named parts of the year in many educational and climatological contexts. In South Africa and Namibia, both in the Southern Hemisphere, the calendar seasons are broadly opposite to those in the Northern Hemisphere. That does not mean each region has identical weather: coastal, inland, highland and arid areas can behave differently.
A common geographical error is assuming that December must mean snow or cold weather because it is winter in some European and North American settings. In much of southern Africa, December falls in the summer season. A word such as somer is the vocabulary label; the actual temperature or rainfall pattern still needs location-specific evidence.
Seasons also help with conversations about planning. Die somer is warm means “The summer is warm.” But statements about expected conditions should be qualified rather than made universal for every year and place. One summer can differ from another, and a short language lesson should not pretend to forecast the next season.
How to read a basic Afrikaans forecast
A forecast is a prediction for a defined place and period, not an observation that must become true. The essential task is to identify the location, the date or time, the predicted condition and any warnings. If the source provides a probability of rain, do not convert that probability into an absolute statement that rain will occur or will not occur.
| Forecast element | Afrikaans term | Question to ask |
|---|---|---|
| weather forecast | weervoorspelling | For which place and period? |
| weather report | weerverslag | Is this an observation or a forecast? |
| temperature | temperatuur | What scale and time? |
| rainfall | reënval | What period and amount? |
| chance of rain | kans op reën | What probability and forecast window? |
| wind speed | windspoed | What units and location? |
| humidity | humiditeit | What does it mean in this context? |
| storm warning | stormwaarskuwing | What area, hazard and effective time? |
Take an invented forecast sentence: Môre sal dit sonnig en ’n bietjie bewolk wees (“Tomorrow it will be sunny and somewhat cloudy”). The word môre establishes that the statement is about tomorrow, while sal … wees gives a future-oriented structure. It is a practice sentence, not a report of tomorrow’s actual conditions.
A second hypothetical forecast gives a chance of rain. You should preserve the idea of chance rather than translating it into “It will rain.” If the reader is trying to arrange an event, the next useful information may be the forecast hour, rainfall amount and official warning status. One adjective is rarely sufficient.
Today, tomorrow and later: the time words weather needs
| English | Afrikaans |
|---|---|
| today | vandag |
| tomorrow | môre |
| yesterday | gister |
| this afternoon | vanmiddag |
| tonight | vanaand |
| next week | volgende week |
| morning | oggend; môre (in context) |
| evening | aand |
These words link weather descriptions to time. Dit reën vandag says it rains today; Môre sal dit reën predicts rain tomorrow. The same weather word can be used in very different types of statement. A reader should not detach the weather condition from the time phrase.
Môre is particularly worth learning carefully. In a time statement it can mean tomorrow, while a related form appears in the greeting goeiemôre, meaning good morning. Read the whole sentence before translating. The Afrikaans Days and Months guide explains more calendar vocabulary.
Five everyday situations where weather vocabulary helps
1. You check the sky before leaving the house
Use Dit is bewolk or Dit is sonnig only for the conditions you actually observe. A practice partner can change one detail—the day, condition or location—and ask for a new description. The goal is to use language to reach a sound decision rather than confidently repeat a weather adjective.
2. A friend asks about tomorrow
Identify môre as tomorrow, then check an actual forecast instead of guessing. A practice partner can change one detail—the day, condition or location—and ask for a new description. The goal is to use language to reach a sound decision rather than confidently repeat a weather adjective.
3. You read a coastal wind warning
Recognise wind and winderig, but follow current official location-specific safety guidance. A practice partner can change one detail—the day, condition or location—and ask for a new description. The goal is to use language to reach a sound decision rather than confidently repeat a weather adjective.
4. You see a thunderstorm alert
Distinguish donderstorm, donder and weerlig. Translate the warning accurately and prioritise safety. A practice partner can change one detail—the day, condition or location—and ask for a new description. The goal is to use language to reach a sound decision rather than confidently repeat a weather adjective.
5. You plan an outdoor gathering
Check the time window and any chance of rain, not only the daily headline icon. A practice partner can change one detail—the day, condition or location—and ask for a new description. The goal is to use language to reach a sound decision rather than confidently repeat a weather adjective.
Mistakes beginners make when translating the weather
- Using weather observations as forecasts: the sky now does not establish conditions later.
- Dropping the spelling marks: reën and reënerig use the diaeresis.
- Confusing thunder with lightning: donder is thunder and weerlig is lightning.
- Reading every adjective unchanged: compare koud and koue dag.
- Assuming cloudy means rainy: bewolk refers to clouds; precipitation is another question.
- Ignoring Southern Hemisphere seasons: the season of a month changes with hemisphere.
- Converting probability into certainty: kans op reën is a chance of rain, not a guarantee.
- Ignoring warning timestamps: hazard information must be tied to the correct place and period.
Twenty weather vocabulary questions
| Prompt | Answer key |
|---|---|
| weather | weer |
| sunny | sonnig |
| cloudy | bewolk |
| rain | reën |
| drizzle | motreën |
| wind | wind |
| windy | winderig |
| thunder | donder |
| lightning | weerlig |
| snow | sneeu |
| ice | ys |
| fog | mis |
| temperature | temperatuur |
| drought | droogte |
| spring (season) | lente |
| summer | somer |
| autumn | herfs |
| winter | winter |
| How is the weather today? | Hoe is die weer vandag? |
| It is raining. | Dit reën. |
Hide the answer key and practise English to Afrikaans. Then reverse the task. If you recognise reën but cannot say it aloud, listen to an Afrikaans recording and repeat in a short phrase. If you know the word but misread the future tense, practise a whole example that includes môre. The correction depends on the actual problem.
A seven-day weather vocabulary routine
| Day | Focus | Independent task |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | sun, cloud and sky | Describe three sky conditions using complete sentences. |
| 2 | rain and precipitation | Distinguish reën, reënerig and motreën. |
| 3 | wind and storms | Identify wind, thunder, lightning and warnings correctly. |
| 4 | temperature and humidity | Use warm, koud, koel and temperatuur appropriately. |
| 5 | four seasons | Name all four and explain the hemisphere distinction. |
| 6 | time words and hypothetical forecasts | Separate today from tomorrow and chance from certainty. |
| 7 | mixed descriptions and correction | Read an invented forecast and identify its place, period and conditions. |
Practise by observing one real condition and reading one genuine forecast from an appropriate source. Keep the two activities separate. Describe the observation accurately; then read the forecast as a forecast. This small habit trains both vocabulary and reasoning about what a sentence claims.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say weather in Afrikaans?
Weer.
How do you say sunny?
Sonnig.
What does bewolk mean?
Cloudy or overcast in appropriate contexts.
What is rain in Afrikaans?
Reën. Dit reën means it is raining.
How do you say rainy?
Reënerig.
What is drizzle?
Motreën.
What is wind in Afrikaans?
Wind; winderig means windy.
How do you say thunderstorm?
Donderstorm.
What is lightning?
Weerlig.
How do you say snow?
Sneeu.
What is fog?
Mis.
What are the four seasons?
Lente, somer, herfs and winter.
What does Dit is koud mean?
It is cold.
How do you ask about today’s weather?
Hoe is die weer vandag?
How do you say weather forecast?
Weervoorspelling.
Can this article tell me tomorrow’s actual weather?
No. It explains words and how forecasts work, not current conditions. Consult a recent forecast from a competent weather service.
Continue learning useful Afrikaans
- Afrikaans Vocabulary for Beginners — 100 common words
- Afrikaans Days of the Week and Months — time words
- Colours in Afrikaans — describing what you see
- Afrikaans Numbers 1 to 100 — temperature figures
- eduKateSG Vocabulary Learning Hub
Sources and language checks
Weather word forms and examples were checked against AfrikaansPod101’s weather vocabulary, book2’s Afrikaans weather glossary, book2’s seasons and weather sentences, and an Afrikaans weather-language reference. Example forecasts are invented, with no claims about current weather. For real warnings, consult the relevant national or local meteorological authority.