llueve
/yoo-EH-beh/
it rains
A simple illustration of rain falling on an umbrella to show 'it rains'.
llueve(verb)
it rains
?current weather
,it is raining
?happening right now
it pours
?heavy rainfall
📝 In Action
Cuando llueve, uso mi paraguas.
A1When it rains, I use my umbrella.
Mira, ¡llueve mucho!
A1Look, it's raining a lot!
💡 Grammar Points
The Ghost 'It'
In English, we say 'it rains.' In Spanish, you don't need a word for 'it.' You just say 'llueve.'
The Stem Change
The original verb is 'llover.' When you use the present form, the middle 'o' turns into a 'ue' sound, making it 'llueve.'
❌ Common Pitfalls
Avoid 'Está lloviendo' vs 'Llueve'
Mistake: "Thinking you always need 'está' to say 'it's raining.'"
Correction: While 'está lloviendo' is correct for 'it is raining right now,' you can simply use 'llueve' to describe the weather in general or what's happening now.
⭐ Usage Tips
Weather Verbs are Solo
Because clouds don't have a 'person' identity, we almost exclusively use this verb in the singular 3rd person (the he/she/it form).
A pile of mail overflowing on a table to represent things 'pouring in' or arriving in large numbers.
llueve(verb)
to pour in
?receiving many things like calls or offers
to rain down
?physical objects falling
📝 In Action
A la actriz le llueven las críticas.
B2Criticism is pouring in for the actress.
Me llueven los mensajes hoy.
B1Messages are raining down on me today.
💡 Grammar Points
Plural figurative use
When things are 'raining down,' you can use the plural form 'llueven' followed by the objects (e.g., 'llueven ofertas').
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
present
imperfect
indicative
preterite
imperfect
present
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: llueve
Question 1 of 2
How do you say 'It is raining' in Spanish?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to say 'Él llueve'?
No. Weather verbs are 'impersonal,' meaning they don't have a person (like he or she) doing the action. Just use the word 'llueve' by itself.
Is 'llueve' the same as 'llover'?
Almost! 'Llover' is the name of the action (to rain), and 'llueve' is the specific form we use to say it's happening right now.