Weather Пого́да
19 Russian words on the topic of weather — each with a picture, an audio recording and an example sentence. Russian talks about weather in one-word impersonal sentences: жа́рко “it’s hot”, хо́лодно “it’s cold”, идёт дождь “it’s raining”.
| Picture | English | Russian · Ру́сский | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 | weather | пого́да | Distinct from кли́мат (climate). кака́я сего́дня пого́да? = what's the weather today? |
 | it's hot | жа́рко | Impersonal; 'I'm hot' = мне жа́рко. |
 | it's cold | хо́лодно | Impersonal; 'I'm cold' = мне хо́лодно. |
 | it's sunny | со́лнечно | 🔗 Word familyFrom со́лнце (sun), where the л is silent. |
 | it's windy | ве́трено | Impersonal, like жа́рко. 🔗 Word familyFrom ве́тер (wind). |
 | cloudy | о́блачно | 🔗 Word familyFrom о́блако (cloud). Stress on the first syllable. |
 | rain | дождь | 'It's raining' is literally 'the rain goes': идёт дождь. |
 | it's raining | идёт дождь | Uses идти́ (to go). ⚠️ IrregularPast tense: шёл дождь. |
 | snow | снег | Final г is devoiced — pronounced [снек]. |
 | it's snowing | идёт снег | Same verb as идёт дождь — snow 'goes' too. |
 | storm | бу́ря | A thunderstorm specifically is гроза́. |
 | lightning | мо́лния | 🔀 Several meaningsAlso means 'zipper'. |
 | thunder | гром | Thunder 'rumbles': гром греми́т. |
 | cloud | о́блако | ⚠️ GenderPlural облака́ (stress shifts). A dark rain cloud is ту́ча. |
 | wind | ве́тер | The е drops in declension: ве́тер → ве́тра. |
 | rainbow | ра́дуга | Stress the first syllable: ра́дуга. |
 | umbrella | зонт | 🔗 Word familyThe diminutive зо́нтик is just as common. |
 | temperature | температу́ра | 🔗 Word familyCognate. у меня́ температу́ра = I have a fever. |
 | degrees | гра́дусы | Singular гра́дус. ⚠️ IrregularAfter 2–4: гра́дуса, after 5+: гра́дусов. |
See also:Time & Days