German Phrase
Nein, es ist jetzt zu stürmisch.
Meaning
The speaker is refusing something because the weather is currently too stormy. The use of ‘zu’ signals that the storminess is beyond what is acceptable for the planned activity.
When to use
Use this sentence when you want to decline an invitation, a plan, or an outdoor activity because the weather conditions are unsafe or uncomfortable at the moment.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Neinesistjetztzustürmisch
Negation with Nein
‘Nein’ is a simple, direct way to say ‘no’ and is often used to reject a suggestion or answer a yes/no question.
Impersonal ‘es ist’
‘es ist’ is used to describe the weather or general conditions without a specific subject.
Temporal adverb ‘jetzt’
‘jetzt’ places the statement in the present moment, meaning ‘right now’.
‘zu’ + adjective
The particle ‘zu’ before an adjective expresses that something exceeds a comfortable or acceptable level – ‘too …’.
Adjective ‘stürmisch’
‘stürmisch’ describes weather that is windy, rainy and turbulent; it can also be used metaphorically.
🗨In Conversation
Wollen wir heute segeln?
Do we want to go sailing today?
Nein, es ist jetzt zu stürmisch.
No, it’s too stormy right now.
✕Common Mistakes
Nein, es ist jetzt zu sehr stürmisch.
‘zu sehr’ is not used with adjectives; it’s used with adverbs. The correct form is simply ‘zu stürmisch’.
Nein, es ist jetzt sehr stürmisch.
‘sehr’ means ‘very’, which does not convey the idea of ‘excessive/unsafe’. Use ‘zu’ to express ‘too’.
Nein, es ist jetzt zu stürmisches.
Adjectives after ‘zu’ stay in their base form; do not add the ending ‘-es’.
↔Alternatives
Nein, das Wetter ist gerade zu stürmisch.
No, the weather is too stormy right now.
Nein, es ist im Moment zu windig.
No, it’s too windy at the moment.
Nein, das ist gerade zu stürmisch für einen Spaziergang.
No, it’s too stormy right now for a walk.
Cultural Tip
In German, ‘zu’ + adjective is the standard way to say ‘too …’. It’s common in everyday speech, especially when talking about weather. Germans tend to be very precise about weather conditions, so using ‘zu stürmisch’ immediately signals that the situation is unsafe for activities like sailing, hiking, or biking.