Denmark-based readers have probably heard the saying der findes ikke dårligt vejr, kun dårlig påkældning(there's no bad weather, only bad clothes) more times than they’ve receive a bicycle-related soaking.
But there are plenty of other weather phrases in the Danish language that describe all situations from strandvejr (beach weather) to ruskregn (cold rain with wind).
Let's start with the four seasons (årstider): forår (spring), sommer (summer), efterår (autumn) and vinter (winter).
In summer, you're probably hoping for lækkert vejr (beautiful weather), with solskin (sunshine) and grillvejr (barbecue weather) on those lune (balmy) evenings. Gennemsnitstemperaturen (the average daily temperature) will rise thanks to the højtryk (high pressure), causing you to feel a bit svedig (sweaty), and the country will experience lyse nætter (“light nights”), when the sun sets late dusk sometimes doesn’t fall until 11pm).
You might go through a varmebølge or hedebølge – both essentially meaning a heatwave but with a subtle yet important difference.
In sensommeren (late summer), there may be some torden (thunder) and lyn (lightning), but if you are lucky you might see a regnbue (rainbow).
READ ALSO: Five Danish phrases you only hear in summer
Come September, the sensommer weather might still provide a bit of sun and warmth, at least until around the time of the høst (harvest). Incidentally, the word for 'harvest' also doubles as the word for 'autumn' in Sweden and Norway, but Danes prefer the more literal efterår.
Eventually though, weather will turn grå og trist (grey and dull), overskyet (overcast) with skydækning (cloud cover), and blæsende (windy). It's time to get your paraply (umbrella) out, and maybe even your regnjakke (rain coat) and gummistøvler (wellies).
Low-lying tåge or dise (fog or mist) over fields can elicit warnings about visibility for early-morning drivers and cyclists.
There are several words for nedbør (precipitation), including støvregn (drizzle, literally “dust rain”), byge (shower), styrtregn (downpour) or skybrud (heavy rain or cloudburst).
If it's raining cats and dogs you say det regner skomagerdrenge (literally, “it’s raining shoemaker boys”).
November will be here sooner than you think, and it might prompt you to exclaim Sikke et vejr (“What miserable weather!”) or even Sikke noget skodvejr! (literally “what cigarette-butt weather!”).
If mange agern spar en hård vinter, this means that if many acorns fall from the trees, a cold winter awaits.
Finally, it's winter and snefnug (snowflakes) will start to fall.
There are a number of similar-sounding but distinct words about snow (sne): snefog, snedynge and snedrive (all snow drift) and snefri, which can mean “free of snow”, but also when kids are given the day off school due to the snow.
The most unique is possibly the noun snefygning, when the wind kicks up and fresh snow is blown into the air, dancing momentarily in the winter cold before falling back to the ground.
Tøsne (thawing snow) could be a sign that temperatures are starting to become mild as the end of winter nears.
When it’s finally forår again, you might hear people talking up the welcome return of tocifrede grader (temperatures in double digits) and finally being able to remove their vintertøj (winter clothing).
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