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How to Say "rain" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “rain” is “lluvia” — use 'lluvia' when referring to the weather phenomenon of precipitation falling from the sky..

English → Spanish

lluvia

YOO-vee-ah/ˈʎu.βja/

nounA1general
Use 'lluvia' when referring to the weather phenomenon of precipitation falling from the sky.
A simple fluffy gray cloud floating in the sky, with stylized blue raindrops falling straight down onto green grass below.

Examples

Necesitamos un paraguas porque la lluvia es muy fuerte hoy.

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

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

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

Gender Rule

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

Using the wrong article

Mistake: “El lluvia es fría.”

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

agua

/AH-gwah//ˈa.ɣwa/

nounA1general
Use 'agua' specifically when you want to drink water, not when talking about the weather.
A perfectly clear glass filled with refreshing, still water, sitting on a simple surface.

Examples

Necesito un vaso de agua, por favor.

I need a glass of water, please.

El agua del mar está muy fría.

The sea water is very cold.

Las aguas del río Amazonas son caudalosas.

The waters of the Amazon River are mighty.

The Tricky 'el agua'

Even though 'agua' is a feminine word (we say 'agua fría,' not 'frío'), we say 'el agua' in the singular. This is just a sound rule to avoid the two 'a' sounds of 'la agua' bumping into each other. When it's plural, it goes back to the normal feminine form: 'las aguas'.

Using 'la' instead of 'el'

Mistake: “Quiero la agua, por favor.”

Correction: Quiero el agua, por favor. Remember, for singular feminine words that start with a stressed 'a' sound (like Á-gua or Á-guila), we use 'el' to make it flow better. But any words describing it stay feminine: 'el agua fría'.

Confusing 'agua' and 'lluvia'

The most common mistake is using 'agua' to refer to the weather. Remember, 'agua' is for drinking water, while 'lluvia' is for the rain falling from the sky. Don't ask for 'agua' when you mean it's raining!

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