Recently it has always rained. As we all know, the weather is a never outdated topic when you are talking with the foreigners. Foreigners, especially English speakers, love to talk about the weather. As a good way of breaking the ice, people talk about weather in almost any occasions before they go about discussing their business.

Friends, families, co-workers and even strangers discuss the weather, because it is easy to start a conversation by talking about the weather. Therefore, if you are familiar with the proper vocabulary and expressions, it is easy for you to start a conversation anytime and anywhere with anyone you meet.

Below are some vocabularies about the rainy days:

Drizzle: fine rain 毛毛雨

Light rain: 小雨

Flurry: a light gust of rain 骤雨

Shower: a brief fall of rain 阵雨

Downpour: tremendous pouring of rain, torrential rain 倾盆大雨、滂沱大雨

Rainstorm: a storm accompanied by rain 暴风雨

Monsoon: the rain that accompanies this wind 季风雨

Middle rain: 中雨

Heavy rain: 暴雨

Below are some common expressions about the weather (raining days).

How is the weather?

天气怎么样？

What’s it like out?

外面天气如何？

It is raining. /It is rainy.

正在下雨呢。

Do you have rain there?

你那边下雨没？

We haven’t had a drop of rain for weeks.

几个星期都没下一滴雨啦。

What’s the weather forecast?

天气预报怎么说？

They’re calling for blue skies all week.

连续一个星期都是大晴天。

It’s pouring here. It’s been raining all week.

我这边正在下大雨呢。整整下了一星期的雨啦。

What’s it doing there?

你那边天气怎么样？

It’s snowing outside.

外面正在下雪。

Weather Idioms and Sayings in English

a bolt from the blue – something that happened unexpectedly

晴天霹雳

come hell or high water – in any circumstances, come what may

无论如何（就算天崩地裂）

come rain or shine – in any circumstances, come what may

无论如何（风雨无阻）

the end of the rainbow – where the treasure or end of a quest lies

所有愿望都能实现的地方

to get wind of – to receive information or a hint of, to come to know

听到风声

Make hay while the sun shines. – advice to do something at an opportune time

未雨绸缪

a ray of sunshine – someone or something that brings great joy

一缕阳光

right as rain – perfect, very good, healthy, correct, factually accurate

一切正常、状况良好

to shed light on something – to make something clearer

把某事弄得更明白

to rain on someone’s parade – to ruin someone’s plans

扫兴/冷水/打破计划

to scare the living daylights out of someone – to scare someone severely

吓得某人六神无主或魂飞魄散

scattered to the four winds – going in all directions

四处飞散

seven sheets to the wind – extremely intoxicated, very drunk

酩酊大醉

to steal someone’s thunder – to take undue credit or praise for someone else’s work or accomplishment

剽窃他人的成果

to take the shine out of someone or something – to deprive a person or thing of their or its brilliance or pre-eminence; to outshine, surpass

使逊色

to throw caution to the wind – to take a risk

豁出去了

under a cloud – in trouble or difficulties; out of favor

失宠

under the weather – not feeling well

身体不适

to have one’s head in the clouds – when someone has unrealistic or impractical ideas

满脑子幻想

in a fog – confused, dazed, unaware

云里雾里/一无所知

in the clouds – obscure, mystical; fanciful, unreal; above the range of ordinary understanding

茫然不知所措

in the dark – uninformed, often intentionally

不明朗

in the eye of the storm – to be deeply involved in a difficult or controversial situation

身陷困境

to beat the living daylights out of someone – to beat someone severely

猛烈击打某人

in broad daylight – during the day with many witnesses

光天化日之下

the calm before the storm – a period of tranquility or stability viewed as a precursor to a time of difficulty, upheaval, frenzied activity, etc.

暴风雨前的平静（预示即将发生剧变等）

to chase rainbows – to try to accomplish something that can never be achieved, to go on a useless quest
徒劳

to shine through – to be transparent

照耀进来（比喻：表现处理）

to shine up to – to try to please, to make oneself pleasant to

百般讨好（某人）

to shoot the breeze – to chat in a relaxed fashion

无拘无束地闲聊

to stem the tide – to make headway against, to slow or stop an increase

遏制…的浪潮

to take a shine to – to take a fancy to, to develop an interest in

有好感

to weather the storm – to reach the end of a very difficult situation without too much harm or damage

克服困难