Weather in Russian: 40 Words and Phrases to Talk about Rain, Snow and More
As a Russian student, learning weather words is essential to a well-rounded vocabulary.
As a beginner, you might even already know a few basic Russian words that are related to the weather.
As a more advanced student, knowing weather-related words is valuable for much more than just small talk.
It can help you plan your day, figure out your outfit, stay safe and more.
Below, you’ll learn 40 common words to talk about the weather in Russian.
Contents
- Phrases for Discussing the Weather in Russian
- Vocabulary for Describing the Air
- Words for What’s Happening in the Sky
- Types of Weather Events
- How to Practice Russian Weather Words
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
Phrases for Discussing the Weather in Russian
1. Какая сегодня погода? — What’s the weather like today?
Какая сегодня погода? Мне нужен свитер? — What’s the weather like today? Do I need a sweater?
2. Какой на завтра прогноз погоды? — What’s the forecast for tomorrow?
Какой на завтра прогноз погоды? Мы сможем поплавать? — What’s the forecast for tomorrow? Will we be able to go for a swim?
3. Идёт… — Literally means “goes” or “is going”; used to describe precipitation
Идёт дождь. Хватай зонт! — It’s raining. Grab an umbrella!
4. Будет… — It’s going to…
Будет жарко. — It’s going to be hot.
5. На улице… — Literally means on the street, but used to mean outside
На улице так холодно! — It’s so cold outside!
6. Льёт как из ведра. — Literally means pouring like from a bucket; used like raining cats and dogs
Льёт как из ведра. Давай не поедем сегодня на дачу. — It’s raining like cats and dogs. Let’s not go to the dacha (country house) today.
Vocabulary for Describing the Air
While in English you generally describe the weather by using supporting words like “it’s,” in Russian, you can simply say most words related to temperature and air quality on their own.
However, if you use them to describe a noun, you’ll need to make sure your adjectives match the gender of that noun.
7. Жарко — Hot
Слишком жарко, чтобы выходить на улицу. — It’s too hot to go outside.
8. Тепло — Warm
Достаточно тепло чтобы поесть на улице. — It’s warm enough to eat outside.
9. Хорошо — Literally means good, as in nice or pleasant
Если погода хорошая, надо покосить газон. — If the weather is good, we should mow the grass.
10. Холодно — Cold
Я ненавижу холодную погоду. Давайте переедем на Ямайку. — I hate cold weather. Let’s move to Jamaica.
11. Сухо — Dry
Сухо, как в пустыне. — It’s so dry, it’s like a desert!
12. Влажно — Humid
Влажно как в бане. — It’s humid like in a bathhouse.
13. Душно — Stuffy
Здесь слишком душно. Надо открыть окно. — It’s too stuffy in here. We have to open the window.
14. Свежо — Fresh/crisp
Свежий осенний воздух пахнет яблоками. — The crisp autumn air smells like apples.
15. Зябко — Chilly
Зябко! Давай вернёмся внутрь. — It’s chilly! Let’s go back inside.
16. Морозно — Frosty
Морозное утро было похоже на Рождество. — The frosty morning felt like Christmas.
17. Прохладно — Cool
Вечером стало прохладно. — It became cool in the evening.
Words for What’s Happening in the Sky
18. Ясно — Clear
Ясный день идеально подходит для прогулки. — A clear day is perfect for a walk.
19. Солнечно — Sunny
Зима закончилась, и наконец-то солнечно! — Winter is over, and it’s finally sunny!
20. Солнце — Sun
Когда сегодня выйдет солнце? — When will the sun come out today?
21. Пасмурно — Cloudy
Я люблю спать в пасмурные дни. — I like to sleep on cloudy days.
22. Облако — Cloud
Это облако похоже на спагетти? — Does this cloud look like spaghetti?
23. Ветрено — Windy
Слишком ветрено, чтобы пускать воздушных змеев. — It’s too windy to fly kites.
24. Ветер — Wind
Ветер шумный. — The wind is loud.
25. Туманно — Foggy
Так туманно, что я едва вижу свою руку. — It’s so foggy, I can hardly see my own hand.
26. Туман — Fog
Туман сошёл с озера. — The fog came off the lake.
27. Дождь — Rain
Растениям нужен дождь, чтобы расти. — Plants need rain to grow.
28. Гром — Thunder
Вы слышали гром? — Did you hear thunder?
29. Град — Hail
Град повредил мою машину. — Hail damaged my car.
30. Мороз — Frost
Мороз убивает растения. — Frost kills plants.
31. Снежно — Snowy
Город сегодня снежный. — The city is snowy today.
32. Снег — Snow
Дети играют в снегу. — Kids play in the snow.
Types of Weather Events
33. Гроза — Thunderstorm
Игра отменена из-за грозы. — The game was canceled due to a thunderstorm.
34. Метель — Blizzard
Метель сделала путешествие невозможным. — A blizzard made travel impossible.
35. Ураган — Hurricane
Ураган разрушил город. — The hurricane destroyed the city.
36. Торнадо — Tornado
Оставайся в подвале. Там торнадо. — Stay in the basement. There’s a tornado.
37. Засуха — Drought
Засуха увеличивает риск пожаров. — Drought increases the risk of fires.
38. Наводнение — Flood
Если пойдёт дождь, будет наводнение. — If it keeps raining, there will be a flood.
39. Тайфун — Typhoon
Сегодня в Индии тайфун. — There’s a typhoon in India today.
40. Цунами — Tsunami
Цунами опасны для прибрежных городов. — Tsunamis are dangerous for coastal cities.
How to Practice Russian Weather Words
Read Russian weather forecasts
Even if you don’t have plans to visit Russia anytime soon, reading Russian weather forecasts can help reinforce your weather vocabulary.
Gismeteo has plenty of news, including weather forecasts and information on wind, temperature, precipitation and more.
More advanced students can also read long-form articles about the weather through Российская Газета (Russian Newspaper).
Download Russian weather apps
Checking the weather on your smartphone is something so many of us do regularly. You can do the same for Russian weather!
The Weather for Russia app (available for iOS and Android) makes it easy to check. You’ll also get the added benefit of reinforcing some of the most common weather-related words.
If you’re in the US, the app will probably be in English when you first download it, but just go into settings to change the language to Russian.
Learn through authentic content
Another way to practice Russian weather words is by using a language learning program such as FluentU. It uses authentic Russian content such as commercials, music videos and more to help you learn the language.
You can see how words are used in context by native speakers, plus you have access to added features such as interactive subtitles and immediate translations.
You can also make flashcards decks and take personalized quizzes when you’d like to practice what you’ve learned. Studying on the go is also possible with the FluentU iOS and Android apps.
With these 40 Russian weather words and phrases, you’ll be ready to talk about whatever Mother Nature throws your way—or at least know how to break that conservation standstill!
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
