How to Discuss Seasons & the Weather in Italian!
What’s the Weather Like in Italy?
Italy is certainly a land of distinct seasons. Throughout the country, winter can be very bitter with snow, ice and below-freezing temperatures. During this cold time of year, it’s common for Italians to take a brief winter vacation. But then spring comes, beautiful and blooming all across the country. Spring is gorgeous in Italy, as everything seems to come back to life. The summer can be extremely hot throughout Italy, so again, this is a common time for Italians to vacation, particularly during August, when people try to escape from the heat to somewhere breezy or to a beach. Autumn, the harvest season, is also a beautiful season in Italy.
When is the ideal time to visit Italy, if you are considering the weather? You could visit during the lovely spring and fall seasons, but because the weather is best during these times, they are also the seasons that attract a lot of visitors to the country. Late October and November, the rainy time of the year, can be a good time to visit Italy if you prefer to avoid the tourist crowds.
Weather and Seasons: Important Italian Words and Phrases
(Click here for a downloadable, printable list of Italian weather, month and season vocabulary words and phrases)
To begin discussing the weather in Italy, you should learn some basic vocabulary terms and phrases. It’s helpful to know the seasons and months, and then some phrases to describe the weather:
Seasons in Italian
Spring - la primavera
Summer - l’estate
Autumn - l’autunno
Winter - l’inverno
If you wish to specify the weather or what happens in a particular season, insert “in” before the season, i.e., “in primavera.” You can also say, “d’estate” and “d’inverno.”
Months in Italian
January - Gennaio
February - Febbraio
March - Marzo
April - Aprile
May - Maggio
June - Giugno
July - Luglio
August - Agosto
September Settembre
October - Ottobre
November - Novembre
December - Dicembre
Weather Phrases in Italian
What’s the weather like today? - Che tempo fa oggi?
It’s nice - Fa bello / Fa bel tempo
It’s bad - Fa brutto tempo
It’s sunny - C’è sole / Fa sole
It’s cold - Fa freddo
It’s hot - Fa caldo
It’s cool - Fa fresco
It’s snowy - Nevica
It’s windy - C’è il vento
It’s raining - Piove
It’s foggy - C’è la nebbia
It’s frosty - È gelido
It’s freezing Fa un freddo gelido
It’s hailing - Grandina
It’s cloudy - È nuvoloso
It’s stormy - È burrascoso
It’s lightning - Il lampo
It’s humid - È umido
It’s muggy - È afoso
It’s thundering - Tuona
Storm - Il temporale
Changable - Variabile
Learn these Italian words and phrases and enjoy being able to understand a weather report or a discussion about the seasons and weather in Italian…and perhaps even participating in the conversation yourself!
