Regen
/ˈʁeːɡən/masculine
In German, the English phrase 'rain' is translated as Regen.
The noun Regen refers to the general phenomenon of rain. If you wish to describe the action of water falling from the sky or falling in large quantities, you should use the verb regnen. For a more technical or formal context, the term Niederschlag is used to describe precipitation of any kind, such as snow or hail.
Meaning: an instance of particles falling (noun)
Which one should you use?
While Regen is the standard noun for rain, you might use Pieselregen to informally describe light, drizzly rain or nieseln to specifically say it is drizzling. For the action itself, use the verb regnen.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The colloquial term Schietwetter is commonly used in northern Germany to describe bad weather.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Regen is a masculine noun. The plural form is identical to the singular form. In the genitive case (meaning 'of the rain'), the noun takes the ending -s, resulting in Regens.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈʁeːɡən/
Did you know?
- The German verb regen (to move or excite) is a 'false friend' to the noun Regen (rain), despite looking almost identical. While they sound similar, the verb relates to movement rather than weather.
- The German word Regen is a linguistic cousin to the English word 'rain', as both descend from the same Proto-Germanic root *regną.
Examples in context
- Wo ist der Regen?Where is the rain?This sentence is useful for asking about the location of the rain.Tatoeba #705144 by Esperantostern, translation #705058 by shanghainese
- Er mag den Regen.He likes the rain.This sentence is useful for expressing an affinity for the rain.Tatoeba #7712471 by wolfgangth, translation #5331226 by Adelpa
- Höre dem Regen zu.Listen to the rain.This sentence is useful for suggesting one listen to the rain.Tatoeba #12443842 by mayabe, translation #2648077 by CK
- Es regnet heute stark.It's raining heavily today.
- Der Niederschlag im letzten Monat war überdurchschnittlich.The precipitation last month was above average.
- Ist das nicht typisches Hamburger Schietwetter?Isn't this typical rainy weather in Hamburg?
- Wir müssen den Spaziergang verschieben, es gießt wie aus Eimern.We have to postpone our walk, it's pouring rain.
- 636 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julia and Lukas are looking out the window at the weather.
- JuliaSiehst du den Regen, Lukas?Do you see the rain, Lukas?
- LukasJa, der Regen ist wirklich stark.Yes, the rain is really heavy.
- JuliaIch hoffe, der Regen hört bald auf.I hope the rain stops soon.
- LukasIch glaube, er wird heute nicht aufhören.I think it will not stop today.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rain” translations and entries Regen, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Regen, regen, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
