- Weather is てんき. Sunny はれ, cloudy くもり, rain あめ, snow ゆき.
- Hot あつい, cold さむい, warm あたたかい, cool すずしい, humid むしあつい.
- Small talk: きょうはあついですね (It’s hot today, isn’t it?).
- The rainy season つゆ usually runs from June to July in most of Japan.
Weather conditions
- てんきtenkiweather
- はれharesunny, clear
- くもりkumoricloudy
- あめamerain
- ゆきyukisnow
- かぜkazewindSame sound as “a cold” (風邪).
- かみなりkaminarithunder, lightning
- たいふうtaifūtyphoon
Temperature
- あついatsuihot
- さむいsamuicold
- あたたかいatatakaiwarm
- すずしいsuzushiicool, pleasantly cool
- むしあついmushiatsuihumid, muggy
Weather small talk
- きょうはいいてんきですねkyō wa ii tenki desu neNice weather today, isn’t it?
- あついですねatsui desu neHot, isn’t it?
- さむくなりましたねsamuku narimashita neIt’s gotten cold, hasn’t it?
- あしたはあめがふるそうですashita wa ame ga furu sō desuI heard it’ll rain tomorrow.
- かさをもっていますかkasa o motte imasu kaDo you have an umbrella?
The little ね at the end invites agreement, like “isn’t it?”. The expected answer is simply そうですね, it really is.
Reading the forecast
| Forecast | Meaning |
|---|---|
| はれ | sunny |
| はれときどきくもり | sunny, occasionally cloudy |
| くもりのちあめ | cloudy, later rain |
| こうすいかくりつ | chance of rain (%) |
| さいこうきおん / さいていきおん | high / low temperature |
Japan’s special weather
- Rainy season (つゆ, tsuyu): about six weeks of frequent rain, usually June to July in most of Japan. Hokkaido largely has no rainy season.
- Typhoon season (たいふう): mainly late summer to autumn, especially August and September.
- Humid summers: むしあつい is the word you’ll use most in July and August.
- Snow: heavy snow on the Sea of Japan side and in Hokkaido; Tokyo sees only occasional snowfall.
More in seasons in Japanese.
Weather verbs
Rain and snow fall in Japanese, with the verb ふる. Other weather words have their own verbs:
- あめがふっていますame ga futte imasuIt’s raining.
- ゆきがふりましたyuki ga furimashitaIt snowed.
- はれましたharemashitaIt cleared up.
- かぜがつよいですkaze ga tsuyoi desuThe wind is strong.
- くもってきましたkumotte kimashitaIt’s getting cloudy.
Talking about temperature
- きょうはなんどですかkyō wa nando desu kaWhat’s the temperature today?
- さんじゅうごどですsanjūgo do desuIt’s 35 degrees.
- マイナスごどですmainasu go do desuIt’s minus 5 degrees.
Japan uses Celsius. ど (度) means degrees; numbers are in Japanese numbers.
Weather survival in Japan
- Heatstroke warnings (ねっちゅうしょう) are common in summer; drink water and take breaks.
- Typhoons can stop trains and flights; check the news and follow announcements.
- Umbrellas are everywhere: convenience stores sell cheap clear ones, and many shops offer umbrella bags or stands at the entrance.
- Hay fever season (かふんしょう) in spring is why so many people wear masks in March and April.
くもり means:
A cold drink is:
Someone says あついですね. Natural reply:
Frequently asked questions
How do you say weather in Japanese?
Weather is 天気 (tenki). Sunny is 晴れ (hare), cloudy 曇り (kumori), rain 雨 (ame) and snow 雪 (yuki).
How do you say hot and cold in Japanese?
Hot is あつい (atsui) and cold weather is さむい (samui). Cold things, like drinks, are つめたい (tsumetai).
When is the rainy season in Japan?
The rainy season, tsuyu, usually runs from early June to mid or late July in most of Japan. Okinawa's starts earlier, and Hokkaido largely has none.
How do you say it's raining in Japanese?
Say 雨が降っています (ame ga futte imasu). For snow: 雪が降っています (yuki ga futte imasu).