It's raining cats and dogs

Idiomatic expressions for heavy rain in many different languages.

Language Idiom
Arabic Kab Min 'Ind el Rab
it's pouring from heaven
Afrikaans Ou vrouens met knopkieries reen
it's raining old women with knobkerries (clubs)
Aromanian Vearsã cu gãleata
Bulgarian Вали като из ведро Click here to hear this phrase (Vali kato iz vedro)
it's raining like from a bucket
Catalan Està plovent a bots i barrals
it's raining boats and casks
Chinese (Mandarin) 下傾盆大雨 [下倾盆大雨] (xìa qīngpén dàyǔ)
basin-bending big rain is falling
Croatian Lije k'o iz kabla
it's raining like from a bucket
Czech Padají trakaře Click here to hear this phrase
it's raining wheelbarrows
Danish Det regner skomagerdrenge
it's raining shoemakers' apprenticies
Dutch Het regent pijpestelen
it's raining pipe stems
English It's raining cats and dogs / buckets / stair rods / pitchforks / elephants & giraffes
It's a frog strangler
It's a frog-strangling-gully-washer
It's a frog-strangling downpour
it's pelting / chucking / pissing / tipping it down
Estonian Sajab nagu oavarrest Click here to hear this phrase
it's raining like from a beanstalk
Finnish Sataa kuin saavista kaataen
it's pouring like from a big bucket
French Il pleut des grenouilles / des cordes / des hallebardes / des clous / à seaux / comme vache qui pisse Click here to hear this phrase
it's raining frogs / ropes / halberds / nails / buckets / like a pissing cow
Gaelic (Irish) Tá sé ag caitheamh sceana gréasaí
it's throwing cobblers knives
German Es regnet/gießt Schusterjungs / junge Hunde / in Strömen / wie aus Eimern/Kübeln Click here to hear this phrase it's raining/pouring cobbler boys / youngs dogs / in streams / like out of buckets
German (Swiss) Es schiffet wiä d'Sau!
Greek Βρέχει καρεκλοπόδαρα Click here to hear this phrase (Brékhei kareklopódara)
it's raining chair legs
Haitian Creole Chyen ap bwe nan nen
dogs are drinking in their noses
Hebrew (yoréd mabúl) יורד מבול Click here to hear this phrase
a flood is coming down
Hindi बारिश बहुत जोरसे हो रही है
(Bāriś bahut ho rahi hai)
Hungarian Úgy esik, mintha dézsából öntenék
it's raining as if it were poured from a tub
Icelandic Það rignir eld og brennustein / Það er eins og hellt sé úr fötu
it's raining fire and brimstone
Italian Piove a catinelle Click here to hear this phrase Piove a dirotto Click here to hear this phrase Piove che Dio la manda Click here to hear this phrase
it's raining like from basins / excessively / [as if] God sends it
Japanese 土砂降りである (doshaburi de aru)
earth and sand are falling
Kannada ಹುಛುಛಗಿ ಪಲೆ ಬರ್ಥ ಎದೆ (huchuchagi male bartha ede)
it's raining like mad
Korean 비가 억수같이 쏟아진다
rain is pouring down like a torrential downpour.
Latvian Gāž kā ar spaiņiem / Līst kā pa Jāņiem
it's pouring like from a bucket / it's raining like in Jāņi
Lithuanian Pila kaip iš kibiro
it's pouring like from a bucket
Macedonian Паѓа дожд како од крбла (Pagja dožd kako od krbla)
it's raining like from a tub.
Marathi पाउस खुप जोरात पडतोय
(Pāōse khup jorāt paḍtoy)
Norwegian Det regner trollkjerringer
it's raining female trolls
Polish Leje zabami / jak z cebra' Click here to hear this phrase
it's raining frogs / like from a wooden bucket
Portuguese Está chovendo a cântaros / canivetes / barba de sapo / Chove como Deus a dá
it's raining jugs / penknives / toads' beards / It rains like God gives it
Romanian Varsă cu găleata Click here to hear this phrase Plouă cu găleata Click here to hear this phrase
it's raining / pouring buckets
Russian Льёт как из ведра (Lijot kak iz vedra) Click here to hear this phrase
it's pouring like from a bucket
Serbian Пада киша као из кабла (Pada kiša kao iz kabla)
it's raining like from a bucket
Slovak Leje ako z krhly / Padajú traktory
It's flowing like from a watering can / Tractors are falling
Slovenian Lije kot iz škafa
It is raining like pouring from the bucket
Spanish Está lloviendo a cántaros / a cubos / a chuzos / a mares / a torrentes Click here to hear this phrase
it's raining jugs / buckets / pikes / seas / torrents
Estan lloviendo hasta maridos It's even raining husbands
Swedish Det spöregnar / ösregnar / Regnet står som spön i backen Click here to hear this phrase
it's raining like rods / ladles / the rain stands like rods in the hillside
Turkish Sicim gibi yağmur yağıyor / Bardaktan boşanırcasına yağmur yağıyor
it's raining like long strings of rope / it is raining as if it's leaving the glass
Ukrainian Ллє як із відра (Llje jak iz vidra)
it's pouring like from a bucket
Vietnamese Mưa thối đất thối cát, Mưa nặng hạt, Mưa lớn
Welsh Mae hi'n bwrw hen wragedd a ffyn Click here to hear this phrase cyllyll a ffyrc Click here to hear this phrase
it's raining old ladies and sticks / knives and forks

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More idioms

It's all Greek to me | It's raining cats and dogs | As easy as falling off a log | A sandwich short of a picnic | When pigs fly | Other idioms in many languags

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