rain shower
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rain shower
A short, often intense and locally limited precipitation in the form of rain.
Wir wurden auf dem Spaziergang von einem plötzlichen Regenschauer überrascht und waren komplett nass.
We were caught off guard by a sudden rain shower during our walk and were completely wet.
The word is composed of 'Regen' (rain) and 'Schauer' (shower). A 'Schauer' is a short, often heavy precipitation, which describes the meaning of the whole word well.
Ein kurzer Regenschauer zog über die Stadt.
A short rain shower passed over the city.
'Regenschauer' (rain shower) is often used with verbs that describe a sudden event. Typical phrases are 'in einen Regenschauer geraten' (to get caught in a rain shower) or 'von einem Regenschauer überrascht werden' (to be surprised by a rain shower).
Auf dem Heimweg sind wir in einen heftigen Regenschauer geraten.
On the way home, we got caught in a heavy rain shower.
To describe the kind of rain shower, adjectives such as 'kurz' (short), 'plötzlich' (sudden), 'heftig' (heavy), or 'kurzzeitig' (brief) are often used.
Nach einem kurzen Regenschauer schien wieder die Sonne.
After a short rain shower, the sun came out again.
rain
'der Regen' (rain) and 'der Regenschauer' (rain shower) both mean water that falls from the clouds. 'Regen' is the general word and does not say anything specific about duration or intensity. 'Regenschauer' means a short rain shower that often comes suddenly and is sometimes heavy. Afterward, it can quickly be dry again. Learners may confuse the words because a 'Regenschauer' is of course also 'Regen'. If you are just talking about the weather in general, 'Regen' fits. If you want to emphasize the short, sudden kind of rain, 'Regenschauer' is more precise.
Im Sommer hat uns beim Spaziergang ein kurzer Regenschauer überrascht.
In the summer, a short rain shower surprised us during our walk.
Vor der Reise schaue ich nach, ob morgen Regen kommt.
Before the trip, I check whether it will rain tomorrow.