Windhose

tornado

noun VINT-hoh-zeh Rare

Also means

whirlwind

Usage Note

Windhose is the German term for a tornado or waterspout. It is the standard word in German meteorology; Tornado is also used but Windhose appears in official weather warnings and news reports.

Examples

"Eine Windhose richtete erhebliche Schäden an den Häusern an."

Natural Translation

A tornado caused considerable damage to the houses.

Literal Translation

A wind-hose caused considerable damages at the houses.

Free starter pack

Building your German vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common German words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore German by topic

GermanNow

German Word Order: The Verb Rules That Trip You Up

German word order comes down to three verb-position rules: the verb is second in main clauses, last after weil and dass, and time comes before place.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Colors: Names, Shades, and Idioms

German colors are adjectives that take endings — say das rote Auto, not das rot Auto. Get the names, shades, the das-Rot rule, and 14 color idioms.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

GermanNow

Wo, Wohin, Woher: Three Ways to Say Where

German splits where into three: wo (location), wohin (destination), and woher (origin). Learn the wo vs wohin rule, the hin/her logic, and common mistakes.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Separable Verbs: When the Prefix Splits

German separable verbs split in two: the verb stays near the front and the prefix flies to the end. Learn the stress test and where every piece goes.

June 5, 2026 5 min read