Introduction: Why Talk About the Weather in Arabic?
Talking about weather is one of the most common and natural ways to start a conversation. In the Arab world—especially in the Gulf region—weather discussions are more than just small talk. From seasonal sandstorms to extreme heat, the weather shapes everyday life, cultural practices, and even hospitality traditions. Whether you’re traveling, working, or living in an Arab country, learning how to talk about the weather in Arabic will enrich your fluency and social interactions.
Essential Weather Vocabulary in Arabic
To talk about the weather, you first need the right vocabulary. Here’s a list of fundamental weather-related words:
| 🌤 Arabic (with Roman) | 🌍 English |
|---|---|
| الطقس (al-taqs) | Weather |
| شمس (shams) | Sun |
| قمر (qamar) | Moon |
| سماء (samaa’) | Sky |
| سحاب (sahaab) | Clouds |
| مطر (maTar) | Rain |
| ثلج (thalj) | Snow |
| رياح (riyaaH) | Winds |
| حرارة (haraarah) | Heat |
| برودة (buroodah) | Coldness |
| رطوبة (ruToobah) | Humidity |
| ضباب (Dabaab) | Fog |
| عاصفة (‘aaSifah) | Storm |
| برق (barq) | Lightning |
| رعد (ra‘d) | Thunder |
| قوس قزح (qaws quzaH) | Rainbow |
Describing Weather in Arabic (Basic Sentences)
With the vocabulary in hand, let’s form sentences to describe the weather:
| 📜 Arabic + Roman | 🌍 English Translation |
| الجو حار (al-jaww HaaRR) | The weather is hot |
| الجو بارد (al-jaww baarid) | The weather is cold |
| الجو مشمس (al-jaww mushmis) | It is sunny |
| الجو غائم (al-jaww ghAA’im) | It is cloudy |
| يوجد ضباب (yuwjad Dabaab) | There is fog |
| تمطر السماء (tamTur al-samaa’) | It is raining |
| تتساقط الثلوج (tatasaaqaT al-thuloog) | Snow is falling |
| الرياح قوية (al-riyaaH qawiyyah) | The wind is strong |
| الرطوبة عالية (al-ruToobah ‘Aaliyyah) | The humidity is high |
Advanced Weather Phenomena Unique to the Arab World
3.1 Shamāl (شمال – shamaal)
- Meaning: A dry northwesterly wind common in the Gulf region
- Example: تهب رياح الشمال في الصيف (tahubb riyaaH al-shamaal fi al-Sayf)
- Translation: The Shamal winds blow during summer.
3.2 Simūm (سموم – sumoom)
- Meaning: Hot, dry, dusty desert wind
- Example: السموم خطير على الصحة (al-sumoom khaTeer ‘ala al-SiHHah)
- Translation: The simoom is dangerous to health.
3.3 Kharīf (خريف – khareef)
- Meaning: Monsoon season, especially in Southern Oman
- Example: يأتي الخريف بأمطار خفيفة (ya’ti al-khareef bi-amTaar khafeefah)
- Translation: The Khareef brings light rain.
3.4 Khamāsīn (خمسين – khamaseen)
- Meaning: Seasonal dusty wind in Egypt and the Levant
- Example: الرياح الخمسين تجلب الغبار (al-riyaaH al-khamaseen tajlib al-ghubaar)
- Translation: The Khamsin winds bring dust.
Weather Idioms & Colloquial Phrases in Arabic
| 📜 Arabic Idiom (Roman) | 💬 Meaning |
| الجو نار (al-jaww naar) | It’s extremely hot |
| الدنيا تمطر (al-dunya tamTur) | It’s pouring |
| الجو خرافي (al-jaww khuraafi) | The weather is fantastic |
| الدنيا برد (al-dunya bard) | It’s freezing |
Example Conversations
Basic Conversation
Ali: صباح الخير، كيف الجو اليوم؟ (SabaaH al-khayr, kayf al-jaww al-yawm?)
Sarah: الجو مشمس ودافئ (al-jaww mushmis wa daafi’)
Translation:
Ali: Good morning, how’s the weather today?
Sarah: It’s sunny and warm.
Advanced Conversation
Khalid: هل سمعت عن العاصفة الرملية؟ (hal sami‘ta ‘an al-‘aaSifah al-ramliyyah?)
Muna: نعم، رياح الشمال قوية اليوم (na‘am, riyaaH al-shamaal qawiyyah al-yawm)
Translation:
Khalid: Have you heard about the sandstorm?
Muna: Yes, the Shamal wind is strong today.
Cultural Tips on Weather in Arab Countries
- Social Etiquette: In many Arab cultures, commenting on the weather is part of greetings and social bonding.
- Hospitality: Hosts may mention the heat as they offer drinks or welcome guests indoors.
- Seasonal Events: In Salalah, Oman, the Khareef season is a major tourist attraction because of its cool, rainy climate.
Grammar Tips for Weather Expressions
7.1 Gender in Weather Words
- Most weather nouns are masculine (الطقس = al-taqs = masculine).
- Use إنه (innahu) for masculine:
- Example: إنه حار (innahu HaaRR) = It is hot.
- Some expressions use feminine words like الرياح (al-riyaaH):
- Use إنها (innaha):
- Example: إنها قوية (innaha qawiyyah) = It is strong.
7.2 Verb Patterns
- تمطر (tamTur) = It is raining → root: م-ط-ر (m-T-r)
- تتساقط (tatasaaqaT) = It is falling → from the form V verb تساقط (tasaaqat)
Practice Exercises
Conversation 1: It’s Really Hot Today!
| Arabic Script | Roman Arabic | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| الجو اليوم حر واجد! | il-jaww il-yōm ḥarr wājid! | The weather today is very hot! |
| صح، ما أقدر أطلع الظهر. | Ṣaḥ, mā agdar aṭlaʿ al-ẓuhr. | True, I can’t go out at noon. |
| بعد، الشمس قوية اليوم. | Baʿad, ish-shams qawiyyah il-yōm. | Also, the sun is strong today. |
| لازم نشرب ماي كثير. | Lāzim nishrab māy kithīr. | We need to drink a lot of water. |
Word-by-word breakdown:
| Arabic | Roman Arabic | English |
|---|---|---|
| الجو | il-jaww | the weather |
| اليوم | il-yōm | today |
| حر | ḥarr | hot |
| واجد | wājid | very / a lot |
| صح | Ṣaḥ | true / right |
| ما أقدر | mā agdar | I can’t |
| أطلع | aṭlaʿ | go out |
| الظهر | al-ẓuhr | noon |
| بعد | baʿad | also |
| الشمس | ish-shams | the sun |
| قوية | qawiyyah | strong |
| لازم | lāzim | must / need to |
| نشرب | nishrab | we drink |
| ماي | māy | water |
| كثير | kithīr | a lot |
Conversation 2: Rainy Day
| Arabic Script | Roman Arabic | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| الجو اليوم غيم ومطر. | il-jaww il-yōm ghaym u maṭar. | The weather today is cloudy and rainy. |
| تحب المطر؟ | Tiḥibb il-maṭar? | Do you like the rain? |
| إيه، يعجبني الجو البارد. | Ee, yiʿjibnī il-jaww il-bārid. | Yes, I like the cold weather. |
| نفس الشي، أحس براحة. | Nafs ish-shay, aḥiss birāḥah. | Same here, I feel relaxed. |
Word-by-word breakdown:
| Arabic | Roman Arabic | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| غيم | ghaym | cloudy |
| مطر | maṭar | rain |
| تحب | tiḥibb | do you like |
| يعجبني | yiʿjibnī | I like / I enjoy |
| البارد | il-bārid | cold |
| نفس الشي | nafs ish-shay | same thing |
| أحس | aḥiss | I feel |
| براحة | birāḥah | comfortable / relaxed |
Conversation 3: Windy Weather
| Arabic Script | Roman Arabic | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| في هوا قوي اليوم. | Fī hawā qawī il-yōm. | It’s windy today. |
| إيه، الغبار بكل مكان. | Ee, il-ghubār b-kull makān. | Yes, dust is everywhere. |
| لازم نلبس كمام إذا طلعنا. | Lāzim nilbis kammām iḏā ṭalaʿnā. | We should wear a mask if we go out. |
| فكرة زينة، الجو مغبر. | Fikrah zaynā, il-jaww mughbar. | Good idea, the weather is dusty. |
Word-by-word breakdown:
| Arabic | Roman Arabic | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| في | fī | there is / in |
| هوا | hawā | wind |
| قوي | qawī | strong |
| الغبار | il-ghubār | dust |
| بكل | b-kull | everywhere |
| مكان | makān | place |
| نلبس | nilbis | we wear |
| كمام | kammām | mask |
| إذا | iḏā | if |
| طلعنا | ṭalaʿnā | we go out |
| فكرة | fikrah | idea |
| زينة | zaynā | good |
| مغبر | mughbar | dusty |
8.2 Translate into Arabic
- The weather is cold.
- It is raining heavily.
- The wind is very strong.
- There is fog in the morning.
Suggested Answers:
- الجو بارد (al-jaww baarid)
- تمطر السماء بغزارة (tamTur al-samaa’ bighazaara)
- الرياح قوية جدًا (al-riyaaH qawiyyah jiddan)
- يوجد ضباب في الصباح (yuwjad Dabaab fi al-SabaaH)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Conclusion
Learning how to talk about the weather in Arabic isn’t just practical—it’s a window into everyday life and culture in the Arab world. From basic vocabulary to advanced terms and local idioms, this lesson provides a well-rounded foundation for natural conversations. Keep practicing by checking the weather daily and describing it in Arabic!
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