Weather and Seasons in Chinese: Words for Rain, Snow, Heat and Smog

Weather is an easy topic for beginner conversation, and China's climate ranges from freezing northern winters to tropical southern summers.

Core weather words

• 天气 (tiānqì) — weather
• 晴 (qíng) — sunny, clear
• 阴 (yīn) — overcast
• 多云 (duōyún) — cloudy
• 下雨 (xià yǔ) — to rain
• 下雪 (xià xuě) — to snow
• 刮风 (guāfēng) — windy
• 雾 (wù) — fog
• 雷 (léi) — thunder
• 台风 (táifēng) — typhoon
• 雾霾 (wùmái) — smog

Temperature

• 热 (rè) — hot
• 冷 (lěng) — cold
• 暖和 (nuǎnhuo) — warm
• 凉快 (liángkuai) — pleasantly cool
• 温度 (wēndù) — temperature
• 度 (dù) — degrees

The four seasons

• 春天 (chūntiān) — spring
• 夏天 (xiàtiān) — summer
• 秋天 (qiūtiān) — autumn
• 冬天 (dōngtiān) — winter

Everyday phrases

• 今天天气怎么样？ (Jīntiān tiānqì zěnmeyàng?) — How's the weather today?
• 今天很热。 (Jīntiān hěn rè.) — It's hot today.
• 明天会下雨。 (Míngtiān huì xià yǔ.) — It'll rain tomorrow.
• 外面很冷，多穿点衣服。 (Wàimiàn hěn lěng, duō chuān diǎn yīfu.) — It's cold outside; wear more clothes.
• 今天几度？ (Jīntiān jǐ dù?) — What's the temperature today?

Regional climates

• The north (Beijing, Harbin): cold, dry winters, with heavy snow in the northeast, and hot summers. Harbin's ice festival is famous.
• The Yangtze region (Shanghai, Wuhan): hot, humid summers and cold, damp winters. Early summer brings 梅雨 (méiyǔ), the "plum rains".
• The south (Guangzhou, Hong Kong): subtropical, hot and humid, with typhoons in late summer.
• The west (Xinjiang, Tibet): dry, with large temperature swings and high-altitude cold.

Weather forecasts

The word 天气预报 (tiānqì yùbào) means weather forecast. Common forecast terms include 最高气温 (highest temperature) and 最低气温 (lowest temperature), and 降水概率 (chance of rain).

Weather idioms and culture

• 春暖花开 (chūn nuǎn huā kāi) — spring is warm and flowers bloom
• 秋高气爽 (qiū gāo qì shuǎng) — clear, crisp autumn air
• 风和日丽 (fēng hé rì lì) — gentle breeze and bright sun

Chinese conversation often includes weather-based care, such as reminding others to add clothes or bring an umbrella.