German Phrase
Der Schnee ist schon geschmolzen.
Meaning
The sentence states that the snow that was on the ground has already melted. It is often used when the weather suddenly warms up or when spring is arriving, and the speaker is slightly surprised that the snow disappeared so quickly.
When to use
Use this phrase when describing current weather conditions after a thaw, when talking about the end of winter, or when answering a question about whether there is still snow on the ground.
✦Grammar Breakdown
DerSchneeistschongeschmolzen.
Der Schnee (Nominativ)
‘Schnee’ is a masculine noun; with the definite article ‘der’ it is in the nominative case as the subject.
ist (sein – 3rd person singular)
The verb ‘sein’ is used as the auxiliary for the perfect tense of verbs that indicate a change of state, like ‘schmelzen’.
schon (Adverb)
‘schon’ means ‘already’ and adds a sense of surprise or emphasis that the melting happened earlier than expected.
geschmolzen (Partizip II)
Past participle of ‘schmelzen’; together with ‘sein’ it forms the perfect tense: ‘ist geschmolzen’ = ‘has melted’.
🗨In Conversation
Wie sieht das Wetter heute aus?
What does the weather look like today?
Der Schnee ist schon geschmolzen.
The snow has already melted.
✕Common Mistakes
Der Schnee hat schon geschmolzen.
‘Schmelzen’ uses ‘sein’ as the auxiliary, not ‘haben’. The correct form is ‘ist geschmolzen’.
Der Schnee ist geschmolzen schon.
The adverb ‘schon’ must stay before the participle, not after it.
Der Schnee ist schon geschmolzt.
While ‘geschmolzt’ is a valid past participle, the most natural phrasing with ‘sein’ is ‘ist geschmolzen’. ‘Geschmolzt’ sounds archaic in everyday speech.
↔Alternatives
Der Schnee ist bereits geschmolzen.
The snow has already melted.
Der Schnee ist weg.
The snow is gone.
Der Schnee hat sich bereits aufgelöst.
The snow has already dissolved.
Cultural Tip
In German‑speaking countries the disappearance of snow signals the start of spring and is often celebrated with the phrase ‘Endlich ist der Winter vorbei!’ (Finally winter is over!). Remember that verbs of motion or change of state, like ‘schmelzen’, always use ‘sein’ as the auxiliary in the perfect tense, not ‘haben’. Using the wrong auxiliary is a common error for learners.