Dit reën onverwags.

In Afrikaans, weather expressions often use a dummy subject dit, just like English uses it in It is raining.

So in Dit reën onverwags, dit does not point to a real object. It is just the grammatical subject needed to make the sentence complete.

Yes. In this sentence, reën is the verb and means to rain.

Afrikaans can also use reën as a noun:

• die reën = the rain

So context tells you which one it is:

• Dit reën. = verb
• Die reën is koud. = noun

The dots on ë are called a diaeresis. They show that the vowels are pronounced separately.

So reën is pronounced in two syllables, roughly like REE-un.

The spelling helps you avoid reading it as one single vowel sound.

It can mean both, depending on context.

Afrikaans often uses the simple present where English might use either:

• It rains
• It is raining

So Dit reën onverwags can describe what is happening now, or it can be a general present statement if the context allows that reading.

If you really want to stress an ongoing action, Afrikaans can use other structures, but the simple present is very normal here.

It is related to verwag, which means expect.

So:

• verwag = expect
• on- = un-, not
• onverwags = unexpectedly / unexpectedly so

A learner can think of it as something like unexpectedly.

Because that is a normal word order in a simple Afrikaans main clause.

The usual pattern here is:

subject + verb + adverb

So:

• Dit = subject
• reën = verb
• onverwags = adverb

This makes Dit reën onverwags sound natural and neutral.

You can move onverwags to the front for emphasis:

• Onverwags reën dit.

That version is possible, but it gives extra focus to unexpectedly.

Here it functions as an adverb, because it modifies the verb reën.

It tells you how or in what way/circumstances it is raining.

So in this sentence:

• reën = the action
• onverwags = describes that action

Not in a normal full statement.

Standard Afrikaans normally needs the subject here, so:

• Dit reën onverwags. = correct

Without dit, it would sound incomplete as an ordinary sentence.

In a yes/no question, Afrikaans usually puts the verb first:

Reën dit onverwags?

That is the normal question form.

So the difference is:

• statement: Dit reën onverwags.
• question: Reën dit onverwags?

Afrikaans usually uses a double nie for negation.

So the negative form is:

Dit reën nie onverwags nie.

That literally corresponds to It is not raining unexpectedly.

If you just want to say It is not raining, you would normally say:

Dit reën nie.

Not always.

Dit reën onverwags is grammatical, but it can sound more like it is raining unexpectedly than it suddenly started raining.

If you want to emphasize the sudden beginning, Afrikaans often prefers something like:

• Dit het skielik begin reën.
• Dit begin onverwags reën.

So the original sentence is fine, but another wording may be more natural if the main idea is the sudden start of the rain.