llueve
/ˈʝwebe/
The English phrase "it rains" is translated into Spanish as llueve.
The phrase describes the weather condition when water falls from the clouds in drops. In Spanish, the present tense form llueve is versatile and can be used to translate both "it rains" and "it is raining" depending on the context. For example, you might say Está lloviendo fuerte to mean "It is raining heavily," or use the idiom ¡Está lloviendo a cántaros! to say "It's raining cats and dogs!"
Which one should you use?
It is important to distinguish between the verb and the noun: llueve is the verb meaning "it rains," while lluvia is the noun used to refer to the rain itself.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Chile, people may use the phrase Está goteando to express "It's drizzling." Additionally, in some regions of Argentina and Uruguay, the verb garuar is used instead of lloviznar.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb is used in the third-person singular form because weather phenomena in Spanish do not have a personified subject.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈʝwebe/
Did you know?
- The verb garuar used in Argentina and Uruguay is a loanword from the Portuguese word garoa, meaning a fine drizzle.
- The double ll in llueve is historically a distinct sound, but in many modern dialects it has merged with the 'y' sound, a process known as yeísmo.
- The idiom llover a cántaros literally means 'to rain pitchers', referring to the large clay jugs once used to carry water.
Examples in context
- Si llueve, no vamos.If it rains, we won't go there.This example shows how to use llueve in a conditional sentence regarding plans.Tatoeba #1642960 by marcelostockle, translation #9947699 by DJ_Saidez
- Cada vez llueve más.It rains more every time.This sentence uses llueve to describe an increasing frequency of rain.Tatoeba #7420187 by arh, translation #7900297 by shekitten
- Me quedaré si llueve.I'll stay if it rains.This sentence uses llueve to express a condition for staying.Tatoeba #868640 by Shishir, translation #26849 by CK
- ¡Está cayendo agua a cántaros!It's raining cats and dogs!
- 108 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Alejandro are looking out the window at the sky.
- LucíaMira, ya llueve.Look, it is raining now.
- AlejandroParece que va a llover mucho.It looks like it's going to rain a lot.
- LucíaNecesito un paraguas.I need an umbrella.
- AlejandroYo te presto el mío.I will lend you mine.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry llueve, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
