schneien
[ˈʃnaɪən]
The German phrase for "snowing" is schneien.
schneien refers to the act of white frozen rain falling from the sky. You can describe the intensity of the snowfall using different adverbs: Es schneit leicht (It is snowing lightly), Es schneit stark (It is snowing heavily) or Es schneit ununterbrochen (It is snowing continuously). For a more poetic description, you can say Es schneit wie im Märchen (It is snowing like in a fairytale) or describe the result by saying Die Landschaft versinkt im Schnee (The landscape is buried in snow).
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb schneien is an impersonal verb, which means it is almost always used with the dummy subject es (it) when describing the weather, such as in the construction es schneit (it is snowing). To form the perfect tense, use the past participle geschneit with the auxiliary verb haben, for example: Es hat geschneit (It has snowed).
Did you know?
- In German, the word Schneeglöckchen refers to the snowdrop flower. Its name literally translates to 'snow little bell', describing both the season it blooms and the shape of the flower.
- German has a specific term Schneegestöber for a blizzard, which combines the word for snow with a term for a wild, driving storm.
- The verb schneien shares an ancient ancestor with the English word 'snow', both descending from the Proto-Germanic *snīwaną.
Examples in context
- Es hat aufgehört zu schneien.It's stopped snowing.This sentence is useful for saying that the snow has stopped using schneien.Tatoeba #8941974 by Yorwba, translation #6440422 by CK
- Es hat angefangen zu schneien.It's started snowing.This sentence is useful for saying that the snow has started using schneien.Tatoeba #638218 by Zaghawa, translation #7108781 by CK
- Wann hat es zu schneien begonnen?When did it start snowing?This sentence is useful for asking when the snow began using schneien.Tatoeba #13664560 by Naina, translation #8441020 by CK
- 21 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Maximilian and Sarah are looking out the window at the winter weather.
- MaximilianSchau mal, es beginnt zu schneien!Look, it is starting to snow!
- SarahOh, es schneit wirklich stark.Oh, it is really snowing heavily.
- MaximilianSoll ich die Fenster schließen?Should I close the windows?
- SarahJa, bitte, es ist sehr kalt.Yes, please, it is very cold.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry schneien, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries schneien, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
