German · Nature, Animals & Weather
"Thunder" in German: Donner
der Donner
Thunder in German is der Donner. Say Ich höre Donner or Nach dem Blitz kommt der Donner. The verb is donnern.
Night storm
Der Donner hat mich wach gemacht.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce Donner
Say it
DON-ner
/ˈdɔnɐ/
DON-ner. Stress DON; soft -er.
"Thunder" in German: quick reference
| German | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| der Donner | thunder Core noun. | Core noun. |
| Donnergrollen | rumbling thunder Sound description. | Sound description. |
| es donnert | it's thundering Weather verb. | Weather verb. |
| Gewitter | thunderstorm Full storm. | Full storm. |
How to use Donner in real life
- 1Night storm
Der Donner hat mich wach gemacht.
The thunder woke me up.
Der Donner.
- 2Hiking shelter
Bei Donner bleiben wir unter Dach.
With thunder we stay under cover.
Bei Donner.
- 3Kids calming
Der Donner ist nur Lärm am Himmel.
The thunder is only noise in the sky.
Reassuring.
Mistakes English speakers make with Donner
Incorrect: die Donner
Correct: der Donner
Donner is masculine: der Donner.
Incorrect: der Blitz (when you mean thunder sound)
Correct: der Donner
Blitz is lightning; Donner is thunder.
Good to know
Weather reports talk about Gewitter with Blitz und Donner. People count seconds between Blitz and Donner to guess distance. Pets often fear Donner more than rain.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Waiting out a storm indoors
ChatPal
Hörst du den Donner schon wieder?
Do you hear the thunder again?
You
Ja. Der Donner kommt näher.
Yes. The thunder is getting closer.
ChatPal
Fenster zu. Bei so lautem Donner bleibe ich drinnen.
Windows shut. With thunder that loud I'm staying inside.
You
Gute Idee. Tee gegen den Donner-Stress.
Good idea. Tea against the thunder stress.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Thunder" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Thunder" in German
How do you say thunder?
Der Donner.
It's thundering?
Es donnert.
Thunder vs lightning?
Donner = thunder; Blitz = lightning.
Thunderstorm?
Das Gewitter.
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