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Llover a cántaros

/yoh-VEHR ah KAHN-tah-rohs/

To rain very heavily; to pour down with rain.

Level:B2Register:InformalCommon:★★★★★

💡 Understanding the Idiom

Literal Translation:
"To rain by pitchers."
What It Really Means:
To rain very heavily; to pour down with rain.
English Equivalents:
To rain cats and dogsTo be pouring downTo be bucketing down

🎨 Literal vs. Figurative

💭 Literal
A literal, humorous depiction of 'llover a cántaros', showing large clay pitchers falling from the sky like rain.

Literally, this means 'to rain by pitchers'.

✨ Figurative
The actual meaning of 'llover a cántaros', showing a person looking out a window at extremely heavy rain.

In reality, it means 'to rain cats and dogs' or to rain very heavily.

Key Words in This Idiom:

llovercántaro

📝 In Action

No podemos salir ahora, está lloviendo a cántaros.

B2

We can't go out now, it's raining cats and dogs.

Se canceló el partido porque empezó a llover a cántaros.

B2

The game was canceled because it started pouring down rain.

Recuerdo una tormenta de verano en la que llovió a cántaros durante una hora sin parar.

B2

I remember a summer storm where it poured down for an hour without stopping.

📜 Origin Story

This expression paints a very clear picture. A 'cántaro' is a large, traditional clay jug used for carrying water. The idiom imagines that instead of tiny raindrops, the sky is emptying these huge pitchers of water all at once. It’s a powerful and rustic image that perfectly captures the intensity of a torrential downpour, dating back to a time when such jugs were a part of daily life.

⭐ Usage Tips

Your Go-To for Heavy Rain

Use this phrase anytime you want to describe a downpour. It's the most common and universally understood way to say 'it's raining cats and dogs' in Spanish. You can use it in the present ('Está lloviendo a cántaros'), past ('Llovió a cántaros'), or future.

❌ Common Pitfalls

It's About 'It', Not 'You'

Mistake: "Trying to conjugate the verb 'llover' for a person, like 'Yo lluevo a cántaros' (I rain by pitchers)."

Correction: 'Llover' is what's called an impersonal verb—it's not something a person does. It's always used in the third-person 'it' form: 'llueve' (it rains), 'llovió' (it rained), or 'está lloviendo' (it is raining). The phrase is always about the weather, not a person.

🌎 Where It's Used

🇪🇸

Spain

Extremely common and used everywhere. A standard part of the language.

🌎

Latin America

Widely understood and used in most countries. While some regions might have local alternatives (like 'cae un chaparrón' or 'cae un aguacero'), 'llover a cántaros' is universally recognized.

🔗 Related Idioms

↔️Similar Meanings

llover a mares

To rain seas (another common way to say it's raining heavily).

caer la del pulpo

For the one of the octopus to fall (can mean a heavy downpour or a severe scolding).

⇆Opposite Meanings

caer cuatro gotas

For four drops to fall (to rain very lightly).

chispear

To drizzle or spit (this is a regular verb, not an idiom).

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: Llover a cántaros

Question 1 of 1

If your friend messages you, 'No salgas, está lloviendo a cántaros', what is the weather like?

🏷️ Tags

WeatherCommonly UsedNature

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'llover a cántaros' used in formal writing?

While it's very common in speech and informal writing, you would typically use more neutral terms like 'lluvia torrencial' (torrential rain) or 'llover intensamente' (to rain intensely) in a formal weather report or scientific paper.

What's the difference between 'llover a cántaros' and 'llover a mares'?

They mean almost the exact same thing and are often used interchangeably. 'Llover a cántaros' (raining pitchers) gives an image of heavy, percussive rain, while 'llover a mares' (raining seas) suggests a huge volume of water. Both simply mean it's raining extremely hard.