Which word for "cloud"? туча/облако

[david-us.livejournal.com]

Is there any connotative difference between the two words for cloud: туча and облако?

For instance, you can say "rain clouds" with дождевые тучи or дождевые облака. What's the difference? Perhaps, is one a bit more technical, like a meteorologist might use?

David Emerling
Memphis, TN

Comments

[ex-tritopor.livejournal.com]

Облако is light & white, туча is hard & grey, it consists the rain or snow.

[seraph6.livejournal.com]

Туча = грозовое облако (thundercloud).
"Облако" is usually white/light gray, while "туча" should be dark blue/dark gray.

[david-us.livejournal.com]

That being the case, does it make any sense to say дождевые облака?

Is one word more commonly used when expressing "rain clouds"?

David Emerling
Memphis, TN

[hd-amr.livejournal.com]

Дождевые облака (rain clouds) but грозовые тучи (storm clouds/thunder clouds)

[romik-g.livejournal.com]

To understand that облака are дождевые, you have to say that they are дождевые. If you say туча/тучи, then everyone understands that they are дождевые )))

http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Тучи
http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Облака

--
Кучево-дождевые облака/тучи развиваются из мощных кучевых облаков.
--

[racoonbear.livejournal.com]

Туча is not mandatory "thunder" or "rainy". It's just a big dark heavy cloud.
But cloud typically does not bring rain. That's the difference.

[towarysc.livejournal.com]

Туча - дождевая туча rain cloud, снеговая туча snow cloud, грозовая тучаstorm cloud.
Облако is just a white cloud. I have never heard about such a thing as дождевые облака in common speech.

[just-a-heart.livejournal.com]

"Дождевые облака" in this case are similar to "тучи", but they're not widely used.

[arashi-opera.livejournal.com]

Meteorological terms, like cumuli clouds, cirrus clouds, stratocumulus etc. all use the word "облака": кучевые, перистые, слоисто-кучевые.

[oiseau-russe.livejournal.com]

Not always: "То не тучи, грозовые облака"

IMO облакаis a bit more general and may be used instead of тучи in many cases

[trilbyhat.livejournal.com]

Облако is a general term, туча is a big, dark, menacing облако. Темные тучи на горизонте may also mean that your life is mess and bad things can happen any moment, and you cannot use the word облака here, because it is emotionally neutral, whereas тучи may imply anxiety.

Above meteorology

[axc.livejournal.com]

"Туча" mins "much" in spoken language: "туча комаров" - cloud (swarm) of gnats
"Облако" used in science: "электронное облако" - "electron cloud", "грибовидное облако" - "mushroom cloud"

[bengalibangla.livejournal.com]

In common speech the difference is in color only white or dark grey. Небо заволокло облаками - all the sky got white because of clouds. Небо заволокло тучами - all the sky got dark grey/black because of clouds.

[serzhi-zhi.livejournal.com]

"туча" - rain is coming soon

(http://s992.photobucket.com/albums/af45/serzhi_zhi/?action=view&current=tucha.jpg)


"облако" - its just a cloud

(http://s992.photobucket.com/albums/af45/serzhi_zhi/?action=view&current=oblako.jpg)

so if you're saying туча, there's no need to add adjective "дождевая"

[rina-grant.livejournal.com]

Really, one picture is worth a thousand words! :-)