下雨了
xiàyǔ le
It's raining
下雨了 (Xià yǔ le) means “it’s raining” or “it has started raining.” The particle 了 indicates a new situation or a change of state, so it emphasizes that the rain has begun or is now happening.
What does 下雨了 (xiàyǔ le) mean?
下雨了 (xiàyǔ le) means “it's raining” in English. Word for word, it breaks down as “fall rain (change of state).”
When to use it
Neutral and commonly used. To ask if it's raining, you can say 下雨了吗？ (Xià yǔ le ma?). To say it's raining heavily, use 下大雨了 (Xià dàyǔ le).
How to pronounce it
Sounds like “shyah yoo luh.” The first character is a falling tone, the second is a third tone, and 了 is a light, neutral tone.
Other ways to say it
- 下雨xiàyǔto rain (general statement)
- 在下雨zài xiàyǔit is raining (emphasizing ongoing action)
- 下大雨xià dàyǔit's raining heavily
Examples
下雨了，我们快走吧。
xiàyǔ le, wǒmen kuài zǒu ba.
It's raining, let's go quickly.
外面下雨了，你带伞了吗？
wàimiàn xiàyǔ le, nǐ dài sǎn le ma?
It's raining outside, did you bring an umbrella?
今天会下雨吗？
jīntiān huì xiàyǔ ma?
Will it rain today?
Pro tip: The particle 了 here signals a new situation or a change of state, indicating that the rain has started or is currently happening, rather than just a general statement about rain.
Related phrases
今天很热 · It's hot today今天很冷 · It's cold today带伞了吗？ · Did you bring an umbrella
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