Piove

Piove is the Italian verb form meaning “it rains” or “it is raining.” It is the third-person singular present indicative of the verb piovere, used to describe current weather conditions without an explicit subject. For example, the sentence Oggi piove translates to “Today it is raining.”

Etymology and linguistics: Piovere derives from Latin pluvere, linked to pluvia, the word for rain. Over time, this developed into the Italian verb piovere and its present tense form piove. The word is typically treated as an impersonal verb in Italian, similar to how some languages treat weather verbs.

Usage and related terms: The noun for rain in Italian is pioggia, which is related but distinct from piove. Other verb forms include pioveva (imperfect, “it was raining”), pioverà (future, “it will rain”), and piovuto (past participle, used in compound tenses). Expressions related to rain include piove a catinelle, meaning “it’s raining heavily,” and piove sul bagnato, a proverb meaning that misfortune tends to strike those already down.

Cultural and practical context: Piove is a common term in everyday speech, journalism, and weather forecasts in Italian-speaking contexts. It appears in literature, music, and media whenever rain or weather is described, reflecting its central role in daily life and climate-related discourse.