A German winter is less about deep snow than about grey skies, wet pavements and the odd morning when everything freezes. Children wait for the one weekend when the Schlitten comes out of the cellar. Adults scrape the windscreen and check whose turn it is to clear the pavement.
Here are the words for snow and ice, for staying warm, and for the duties winter brings when you live in Germany: clearing snow, winter tyres, and airing the flat.
Snow and Ice
snowflake
die Schneeflocke
fresh snow
der Neuschnee
powder snow
der Pulverschnee
slush
der Schneematsch
snowstorm
der Schneesturm
snowdrift
die Schneeverwehung
ice
das Eis
icicle
der Eiszapfen
hoarfrost
der Raureif
black ice
das Glatteis
sudden black ice from freezing rain
das Blitzeis
slippery conditions
die Glätte
thaw
das Tauwetter
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die Schneeflocke
Blitzeis is the dangerous one: rain falls on frozen ground and turns to ice in seconds. When the forecast warns of it, schools sometimes cancel classes, and buses may stop running.
Schneematsch is what most German city snow becomes by lunchtime: grey, wet and ankle-deep at every crossing.
Staying Warm
winter jacket
die Winterjacke
down jacket
die Daunenjacke
woolly hat
die Mütze
scarf
der Schal
gloves
die Handschuhe
mittens
die Fäustlinge
winter boots
die Winterstiefel
thermal underwear
die Thermounterwäsche
hot-water bottle
die Wärmflasche
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die Winterjacke
Watch out: say Mir ist kalt, not Ich bin kalt. Ich bin kalt sounds as if you're cold to the touch, or a cold, unfeeling person. The same goes for Mir ist warm.
Phrases for Cold Days
I'm cold.
Mir ist kalt.
I'm freezing.
Ich friere.
Wrap up warm!
Zieh dich warm an!
It snowed overnight.
Es hat über Nacht geschneit.
Careful, it's slippery!
Vorsicht, es ist glatt!
The roads have been gritted.
Die Straßen sind gestreut.
The car is iced up.
Das Auto ist vereist.
My hands are frozen.
Meine Hände sind eiskalt.
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Mir ist kalt.
Clearing Snow: Who Has to Do It?
to shovel snow
Schnee schippen
snow shovel
der Schneeschieber
to grit
streuen
road salt
das Streusalz
grit
der Splitt
winter service
der Winterdienst
duty to clear snow
die Räumpflicht
duty to grit
die Streupflicht
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Schnee schippen
Räum- und Streupflicht: the pavement in front of a building has to be cleared and gritted, and the duty lies with the owner. In rented buildings it's often passed to the tenants on a rota, or to a paid Winterdienst whose cost appears in the Nebenkosten. The times are set by each town, typically from 7 am to 8 pm on working days, and from 8 or 9 am on Sundays and public holidays.
Salt or grit? Many towns don't allow private households to use salt on pavements, because it harms trees and dogs' paws. Grit, sand or Splitt is the usual choice. Check your town's rules or the Hausordnung.
Driving in Winter
winter tyres
die Winterreifen
all-season tyres
die Ganzjahresreifen
ice scraper
der Eiskratzer
to scrape the windscreen
die Scheibe freikratzen
antifreeze
das Frostschutzmittel
snow chains
die Schneeketten
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die Winterreifen
Winter tyres: Germany doesn't have fixed dates. Tyres suitable for winter are required whenever there's black ice, snow, slush or frost on the road, and only tyres with the Alpine symbol, a mountain with a snowflake, count. Driving without them in those conditions costs a fine and a point in Flensburg. The rule of thumb is von O bis O, October to Easter.
Clear the whole car: windows, lights and the roof. A small peephole in an iced windscreen isn't enough, and a slab of snow sliding off your roof onto the car behind is your responsibility.
Inside: Heating and Airing
heating
die Heizung
radiator
der Heizkörper
to turn the heating up
die Heizung aufdrehen
to air the room
lüften
short, full airing
das Stoßlüften
mould
der Schimmel
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die Heizung
Stoßlüften: in winter, Germans open the windows wide for five to ten minutes, several times a day, then close them again. A window left tilted all day, gekippt, cools the walls and wastes heat, and damp walls lead to mould. Landlords may mention it in the rental contract, and it's a common topic in disputes over Schimmel.
Winter Fun
sledge
der Schlitten
to go sledging
Schlitten fahren / rodeln
to build a snowman
einen Schneemann bauen
snowball fight
die Schneeballschlacht
to go skiing
Ski fahren
cross-country skiing
der Langlauf
to go ice skating
Schlittschuh laufen
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der Schlitten
Rodeln is the southern word for sledging, and a Rodelbahn is a sledging run, sometimes with a summer version on rails. In the Alps and the low mountains, from the Harz to the Black Forest, a sunny winter weekend fills every car park near a slope.