Kerala has two long rainy seasons, and in the monsoon months the rain shapes the whole day: umbrellas, wet clothes that will not dry, power cuts, and long afternoons indoors. English speakers translate "It is raining" with an empty "it", trying something like അത് മഴയാണ് (athu mazhayaanu), which means "that is rain", as if pointing at it. Malayalam has no empty "it". In this episode: • Weather words • What the weather is doing • Umbrellas and getting wet • Wet clothes • Power cuts and staying in • An invented scene: the afternoon downpour • Language bridge • Practice • Self-check questions with answers Key phrases from this episode: മഴ (mazha) = rain ഇടി (idi) = thunder മിന്നൽ (minnal) = lightning കാറ്റ് (kaattu) = wind വെയിൽ (veyil) = sunshine ചൂട് (choodu) = heat തണുപ്പ് (thanuppu) = cold, coolness മഴക്കാർ (mazhakkaar) = rain clouds മഴക്കാലം (mazhakkaalam) = the rainy season, the monsoon മഴ പെയ്യുന്നു (mazha peyyunnu) = it's raining നല്ല മഴ (nalla mazha) = heavy rain ചാറ്റൽ മഴ (chaattal mazha) = drizzle മഴ വരുന്നുണ്ട് (mazha varunnundu) = rain is on its way മഴ തോർന്നു (mazha thornnu) = the rain has stopped മഴ നിന്നോ? (mazha ninno?) = has the rain stopped? A simpler everyday way to ask. ഇടി വെട്ടുന്നു (idi vettunnu) = it's thundering നല്ല കാറ്റുണ്ട് (nalla kaattundu) = it's very windy നല്ല വെയിലുണ്ട് (nalla veyilundu) = it's very sunny വല്ലാത്ത ചൂട് (vallaatha choodu) = terrible heat കുട (kuda) = umbrella കുട എടുത്തോ? (kuda edutho?) = did you take an umbrella? Learn Spoken Malayalam at Home: a complete course in everyday spoken Malayalam for English speakers. Native Malayalam pronunciation, every phrase in Malayalam script, Manglish and English, plus a language bridge comparing Malayalam with other world languages. Listen, repeat out loud, then take the 52-question quiz. Audio voiced with AI from an original script by Dr. Rashmi R Nair.