10 Japanese Words for Weather | From Sunny to Snow and Rain
We've compiled 10 essential weather-related words you need to know at the beginner (N5) level of Japanese.
By learning nouns (rain, snow, sunny, etc.) and adjectives (hot, cold, etc.) together, you can master natural weather expressions.
Understand the nuanced differences between similar words and review commonly made mistakes all in one place.
How this bundle was curated
All items at a glance
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 天気 | てんき | Weather |
| 雨 | あめ | Rain |
| 雪 | ゆき | Snow |
| 風 | かぜ | Wind |
| 暑い | あつい | Hot |
| 寒い | さむい | Cold |
| 暖かい | あたたかい | Warm |
| 涼しい | すずしい | Cool |
| 晴れ | はれ | Sunny |
| 曇り | くもり | Cloudy |
Item by item
Reading: てんき
Weather
The most basic word, often used in phrases like 'good weather' (いい天気).
Reading: あめ
Rain
When talking about rain falling, it is common to use the verb 降る (ふる) to say '雨が降る'.
Reading: ゆき
Snow
Like rain, snow is also frequently used in the form '雪が降る' (it snows).
Reading: かぜ
Wind
When talking about the wind blowing, use the verb 吹く (ふく) to say '風が吹く'. It has the same pronunciation as 風邪 (かぜ, a cold), so you must distinguish them by context.
Reading: あつい
Hot
An i-adjective used when the air temperature is high and it's hot. When touching a hot object, 'あつい' is written with a different kanji: 熱い.
Reading: さむい
Cold
Used when the air temperature is low and it's cold. It is mainly used for cold weather or air.
Reading: あたたかい
Warm
Used when the temperature is mild and warm, like spring weather.
Reading: すずしい
Cool
Used when the weather is refreshingly cool, like autumn weather.
Reading: はれ
Sunny
The noun form of the verb 晴れる (to clear up), often used in weather forecasts to indicate 'sunny' or 'clear' weather.
Reading: くもり
Cloudy
The noun form of the verb 曇る (to become cloudy). It means cloudy weather with many clouds.
Practice with examples
How to decide when unsure
- When saying that rain (雨) or snow (雪) 'comes' or 'falls', it is standard to use the verb 降る (ふる, to fall) rather than 来る (to come).
- I-adjectives like 暑い (hot) and 寒い (cold) do not change form when modifying nouns, so you can connect them directly, as in '暑い日' (a hot day).
- When using nouns like 晴れ (sunny), 曇り (cloudy), and 雨 (rain) in the past tense, follow the noun past-tense rules, such as '晴れでした' (it was sunny) or '雨でした' (it rained).
Common mistakes
In English, we might say 'the rain is coming', which can tempt learners to literally translate it into Japanese as 雨が来る. However, for weather phenomena like rain or snow, it is natural to use 降る (ふる, to fall).
Wrong example: 雨が来ます。/Correct example: 雨が降ります。
Similarly, when it snows (雪), you should use 雪が降る.
Mini quiz
Which of the following is the most natural Japanese expression for 'It snows today'?
One-line summary
By mastering these basic N5-level nouns and adjectives related to weather, you will be able to have natural daily conversations asking and answering questions about the weather.
FAQ
I noticed there are two kanji for 'あたたかい' (warm). How are they different?
Generally, 暖かい is used when the temperature or weather is mild and warm, while 温かい is used when the temperature of an object, such as soup or a drink, is warm.
Can I use 冷たい (つめたい) to mean 'cool' or 'refreshing'?
冷たい is closer to 'cold' to the touch, like ice water. When the weather or wind is pleasantly cool and refreshing, it is natural to use 涼しい (すずしい).
