Spanish phrase of the day: ¡Llueve a cántaros!

Why do I need to know this phrase?

Because believe it or not, Spanish people love to make chit chat about the weather almost as much as their northern European counterparts.

Plus for most of us who live in Spain (with the exception of those who reside in the verdant rain-soaked north of the country in Asturias or Galicia) it’s a novelty to exclaim anything about the weather that doesn’t start with “¡qué calor!” which is surely the most common refrain uttered during the summer months.

And it's going to rain alot this week.

What does it mean?

 

Basically use it remark on the fact that it is raining an awful lot.

The literal translation is “it’s raining jugs” which sounds bizarre in English but then so does “it’s raining cats and dogs” which is the English phrase most similarly used to complain about a torrential downpour.

Use it like this

Está lloviendo a cántaros – It’s raining cats and dogs

 

Cuando llueve, llueve a cántaros - When it rains, it pours.

 

 

Synonyms

¡Están cayendo chuzos de punta! -  It's pouring down.

Está lloviendo muy fuerte - it's raining heavily.

If it's not raining heavily and what you're experiencing is more like a drizzle then this is the phrase to use: Está chispeando

READ ALSO: 

• Ten essential phrases to discuss the weather like a true Spaniard
• Check out our other word of the day posts
• Ten Spanish slang phrases you never learn at school