Hagel
/ˈhaːɡl̩/masculine
In German, the word for hail is Hagel. Wiktionary also lists Graupel.
Meaning: balls of ice (noun)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Hagel | /ˈhaːɡl̩/ /ˈhaːɡəl/ |
masculine |
| Graupel | /ˈɡʁaʊ̯pəl/ |
The term refers to balls of ice falling from the sky. Related verbs include hageln to describe the act of hail falling and graupeln for when sleet or small ice pellets fall.
Which one should you use?
While Hagel refers to larger, hard balls of ice, Graupel refers to smaller, softer pellets of ice or sleet.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To describe the weather, the verb hageln is used impersonally, often with the dummy subject es (for example, Es hagelt). Similarly, graupeln is used to describe the weather when sleet or small ice pellets are falling.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈhaːɡl̩/
Did you know?
- In German folklore, Hagel was sometimes attributed to the work of 'weather makers' or witches who could summon storms to destroy crops.
- German uses the verb hageln in a metaphorical sense to describe a rapid succession of unpleasant things, such as a 'hail' of insults.
- The word Graupel is derived from Slavic languages, where the same root is used for both 'hulled grain' and 'hail'.
Examples in context
- Es fing an zu hageln.It started to hail.This sentence shows how to use the verb form of the noun with Hagel.Tatoeba #10712394 by Yorwba, translation #12114563 by sundown
- Haben Sie den Hagel schon gesehen?Have you seen the hail?This sentence uses Hagel in a question about whether it has been seen.Tatoeba #10008731 by manese, translation #12426311 by Miktsoanit
- Dieser Regen wird Hagel mit sich bringen.This rain will bring hail with it.This sentence demonstrates how Hagel can be something brought by rain.Tatoeba #11928311 by jpense, translation #12426312 by Miktsoanit
- Guten Tag, Frau Schmidt.Good day, Mrs. Schmidt.
- Guten Morgen, Herr Müller.Good morning, Mr. Müller.
- Hallo, wie geht's?Hi, how are you?
- Moin, alles klar?Hey, everything alright?
- Moin, wie war dein Urlaub?Hi, how was your vacation?
- Servus, wie geht's dir?Hi, how are you doing?
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sarah and Julian are looking out the window during a storm.
- SarahSchau mal, Julian, der Hagel kommt!Look, Julian, the hail is coming!
- JulianOh nein, der Hagel ist wirklich stark.Oh no, the hail is really heavy.
- SarahIch hoffe, er zerstört nicht unseren Garten.I hope it doesn't destroy our garden.
- JulianWir sollten schnell die Fenster schließen.We should close the windows quickly.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hail” translations and entries Hagel, Graupel, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Graupel, Hagel, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
