German Phrase
Die Wolken bleiben.
Meaning
Literally, ‘The clouds stay.’ It is used to describe a situation where the cloud cover does not change – the sky remains cloudy.
When to use
Use this sentence when talking about weather forecasts, describing a persistent overcast day, or metaphorically when something stays unchanged, like a mood or atmosphere.
✦Grammar Breakdown
DieWolkenbleiben
Definite article (plural)
‘Die’ is the nominative plural definite article used for all genders in German.
Noun plural
‘Wolken’ is the plural of ‘Wolke’ (cloud) and stays in the nominative case as the subject.
Verb conjugation – bleiben
‘bleiben’ is a regular verb; in the present tense 3rd person plural it is ‘bleiben’ (they stay).
🗨In Conversation
Wie wird das Wetter heute?
How's the weather today?
Die Wolken bleiben, also bleibt es den ganzen Tag grau.
The clouds stay, so it will stay gray all day.
✕Common Mistakes
Die Wolken bleibt.
‘bleibt’ is 3rd person singular; the subject ‘Wolken’ is plural, so the verb must be ‘bleiben’.
Der Wolken bleiben.
‘Der’ is the genitive/dative singular feminine article; the correct nominative plural article is ‘die’.
Die Wolken bleiben Sie.
‘Sie’ would make the verb polite imperative or formal ‘you’; here we need a simple statement, not a command.
↔Alternatives
Die Wolken verweilen.
The clouds linger.
Es bleibt bewölkt.
It remains cloudy.
Die Wolken ziehen nicht weiter.
The clouds do not move on.
Cultural Tip
Germans love to talk about the weather, especially in small talk. When you say ‘Die Wolken bleiben’, you’re giving a concise, factual update – perfect for a quick conversation on a train or at a café. In southern Germany, you might also hear ‘Es bleibt trüb’ (It stays gloomy).