Inklingo
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lluvia

/YOO-vee-ah/

rain

A simple fluffy gray cloud floating in the sky, with stylized blue raindrops falling straight down onto green grass below.

Lluvia most commonly refers to the weather phenomenon of rain.

lluvia(noun)

fA1

rain

?

weather phenomenon

📝 In Action

Necesitamos un paraguas porque la lluvia es muy fuerte hoy.

A1

We need an umbrella because the rain is very heavy today.

Después de la sequía, la lluvia trajo alivio al campo.

A2

After the drought, the rain brought relief to the countryside.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • aguacero (downpour)
  • precipitación (precipitation)

Antonyms

  • sequía (drought)

Common Collocations

  • lluvia torrencial – torrential rain
  • lluvia ligera – light rain

💡 Grammar Points

Gender Rule

Remember that 'lluvia' is a feminine word (it always uses 'la' or 'una').

❌ Common Pitfalls

Using the wrong article

Mistake: "El lluvia es fría."

Correction: La lluvia es fría. (Always use the feminine article 'la'.)

⭐ Usage Tips

Talking about the action

While 'lluvia' is the noun (the rain itself), the verb for 'to rain' is 'llover'. You mostly use 'llueve' (it is raining).

A simplified person standing with arms outstretched, being showered by a dense cascade of small, identical golden coins falling from above, symbolizing abundance.

Lluvia can also be used figuratively to mean an overwhelming shower or abundance of something.

lluvia(noun)

fB1

shower

?

figurative abundance of something

Also:

torrent

?

of criticism

,

barrage

?

of questions

📝 In Action

La actriz recibió una lluvia de flores y aplausos al final de la obra.

B1

The actress received a shower of flowers and applause at the end of the play.

El político enfrentó una lluvia de críticas por su nueva propuesta.

B2

The politician faced a torrent of criticism for his new proposal.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • aluvión (flood, deluge)
  • avalancha (avalanche)

Idioms & Expressions

  • lluvia de ideas – The process of generating many ideas quickly (brainstorming).

💡 Grammar Points

Figurative Use

When 'lluvia' is used figuratively, it means a huge, overwhelming amount of something, usually negative (criticism) or positive (gifts, applause).

⭐ Usage Tips

Using 'de'

You almost always need the word 'de' (of) after 'lluvia' in this figurative sense to specify what is being rained down: 'lluvia de regalos' (shower of gifts).

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: lluvia

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence uses 'lluvia' in its figurative sense?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

llover(to rain) - verb
lluvioso(rainy) - adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I say 'It is raining' using 'lluvia'?

You don't use 'lluvia' directly to say it is raining. Instead, you must use the related verb 'llover' (to rain). The correct phrase is 'Está lloviendo' (It is raining now) or 'Llueve' (It rains/It is raining).

Is 'lluvia' ever masculine?

No. 'Lluvia' is always a feminine word for things, so you must always use 'la' or 'una' with it.