German word

Niederschlag

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈniːdɐˌʃlaːk/

Meaning

  • masculine nounrainfall

Example

Während des Sturms gab es starke Niederschläge.

There was heavy rainfall during the storm.

Illustration for Niederschlag (rainfall)

More examples

Auf der Wetterkarte sind für den Morgen verbreitete Niederschläge über dem Westen eingezeichnet.

The weather map shows widespread rainfall over the west for the morning.

Core concept

Moisture falling through the air becomes water or ice resting on land and surfaces.

Common phrases

  • anhaltender Niederschlag

    prolonged rainfall

  • starker Niederschlag mit Gewittern

    heavy rainfall with thunderstorms

  • verbreitete Niederschläge

    widespread rainfall

Similar words

Regen: Drops of water falling from the sky and making the ground and objects wet.
Schnee: Ice crystals falling from the sky and gathering on the ground.
Schauer: A brief period of heavy rain.
Hagel: Hard lumps of ice falling from the sky.

Definition in German

Flüssiges oder gefrorenes Wasser, das aus der Luft auf den Boden oder auf Oberflächen fällt.

Word origin

The compound Niederschlag comes from nieder and Schlag and denotes what strikes down, including precipitation and a resulting deposit.

Usage tips

  • The word is common in formal or technical weather language, whereas everyday speech often uses a specific word such as Regen or Schnee.

Other meanings

  • depositnoun

Opposites

  • Trockenheitdrynessnoun

Related words

  • Niederschlagskarterainfall mapnoun
  • niederschlagsbedingtprecipitation-relatedadjective

Word lists with this word