Weather and the Four Seasons in Japanese
Japanese weather words, the four seasons and their cultural symbols, from cherry blossoms to the rainy season, and phrases for small talk.
Weather is a favourite conversation opener in Japan, and seasons are central to the culture. These words appear in greetings, letters and poetry.
The four seasons
| Season | Japanese | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| spring | 春 | はる (haru) |
| summer | 夏 | なつ (natsu) |
| autumn | 秋 | あき (aki) |
| winter | 冬 | ふゆ (fuyu) |
Each is tied to images: 桜 (さくら, cherry blossom) for spring, 花火 (はなび, fireworks) for summer, 紅葉 (もみじ, autumn leaves) for autumn and 雪 (ゆき, snow) for winter.
The rainy season
Between spring and summer, most of Japan has a rainy season called 梅雨 (つゆ, tsuyu), lasting several weeks in early summer. The kanji mean "plum rain".
Weather words
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 天気 | てんき (tenki) | weather |
| 晴れ | はれ (hare) | clear, sunny |
| 曇り | くもり (kumori) | cloudy |
| 雨 | あめ (ame) | rain |
| 雪 | ゆき (yuki) | snow |
| 風 | かぜ (kaze) | wind |
| 台風 | たいふう (taifū) | typhoon |
| 暑い | あつい (atsui) | hot |
| 寒い | さむい (samui) | cold |
| 暖かい | あたたかい (atatakai) | warm |
| 涼しい | すずしい (suzushii) | cool |
Talking about weather
- 今日はいい天気ですね。 — It's nice weather today, isn't it?
- 今日は暑いですね。 — It's hot today, isn't it?
- 雨が降っています。 — It's raining.
- 雪が降っています。 — It's snowing.
- 明日の天気はどうですか。 — What's tomorrow's weather like?
- 明日は雨でしょう。 — It will probably rain tomorrow.
The ending ~ね invites agreement, like "isn't it?".
Seasonal greetings
Japanese letters often begin with a seasonal phrase. In conversation, people comment on the season:
- だんだん暖かくなりましたね。 — It's gradually getting warmer.
- 桜がきれいですね。 — The cherry blossoms are beautiful.
Tips
- Learn the four seasons with their kanji.
- Use "~ですね" for weather small talk.
- Use the dictionary to check readings.
English Japanese Dictionary
Offline English–Japanese dictionary with kanji, hiragana and katakana support
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