¿está lloviendo?
To ask "is it raining?" in Spanish, use ¿está lloviendo?
This phrase is used to ask if rain is falling at the current moment.
Which one should you use?
While ¿está lloviendo? focuses on the ongoing action, the simple present form ¿llueve? is also commonly used to ask if it is currently raining.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, some regions use ¿Está chispeando? to ask if it is drizzling.
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, you might hear people say Está lloviendo a cántaros to describe a heavy downpour. This literally translates to 'it is raining in pitchers', implying the rain is falling in large quantities.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, the term lluvia is used metaphorically in the expression lluvia de ideas to describe a 'brainstorming' session.
- In Spanish, the verb llover is defective, meaning it cannot be conjugated in many tenses. It is almost never used in the past or future as a personal action, as it only describes a natural phenomenon.
Examples in context
- Hola, buenos días. ¿Está lloviendo hoy?Hello, good morning. Is it raining today?
- ¿Está lloviendo afuera?Is it raining outside?
- Mira por la ventana, ¿está lloviendo?Look through the window, is it raining?
Example conversation
María and Mateo are at home looking at the sky.
- MaríaMateo, ¿está lloviendo?Mateo, is it raining?
- MateoNo, solo está nublado.No, it is just cloudy.
- MaríaQué bueno, porque quiero salir.That is good, because I want to go out.
- MateoSí, aprovecha el buen tiempo.Yes, enjoy the good weather.
