Heute regnet es leider wieder.

Unfortunately, it is raining again today.

Breakdown of Heute regnet es leider wieder.

• der Tag: the day
• heute: today
• es: it
• leider: unfortunately
• wieder: again
• regnen: to rain

Questions & Answers about Heute regnet es leider wieder.

Why is es used in this sentence?

Es is a placeholder subject often used in German when talking about weather. Even though in English we might say "It's raining," in German, es is required to form a complete statement: Heute regnet es = "Today it rains."

What is the function of leider?

Leider means "unfortunately." It's an adverb that adds a feeling of regret or disappointment to the statement. It doesn’t change the grammar, just the tone: leider indicates a negative sentiment about the rain.

How does wieder work here?

Wieder means "again," conveying that the event (rain) is happening one more time. It indicates repetition of an occurrence: Heute regnet es leider wieder implies it rained before, and now it's raining once more.

Is there any special word order rule here?

In German main clauses, the verb (here, regnet) usually takes the second position. Heute is placed first for emphasis on "today," and then regnet follows as the verb. After that, es is the subject.

Is Heute regnet es leider wieder a complete sentence?

Yes, it is. A simple sentence in German only needs a subject and a finite verb. Here, the subject is es and the verb is regnet. The words heute, leider, and wieder are additional words that modify the meaning.