Japanese Weather Vocabulary: Reading Weather Reports and Conversations

Why Weather Is Perfect for Japanese Practice

Japanese people talk about the weather constantly — it’s a safe, friendly topic for starting conversations. Weather vocabulary also appears in news reports, apps, and travel planning. Mastering it gives you real, immediately usable Japanese.

Core Weather Vocabulary

Reading 1: A Simple Weather Report

きょうの てんきよほうです。あさは くもりですが、ひるから はれるでしょう。きおんは さいこうで にじゅうはちど、さいていで にじゅうど です。かぜは よわいです。あしたは あめが ふるかもしれません。かさを もっていってください。

(Here is today’s weather forecast. It will be cloudy in the morning, but will clear up from noon. The high temperature will be 28 degrees and the low will be 20 degrees. The wind is weak. It may rain tomorrow. Please take an umbrella.)

Reading 2: Casual Weather Conversation

A： きょう、むしあついですね。
(Kyou, mushiatsui desu ne.) — It’s hot and humid today, isn’t it.

B： ほんとうに。なつは きらいです。あなたは？
(Hontou ni. Natsu wa kirai desu. Anata wa?) — Really. I hate summer. How about you?

A： わたしは なつが すきです。うみに いけますから。
(Watashi wa natsu ga suki desu. Umi ni ikemasu kara.) — I like summer. Because I can go to the sea.

Japan’s Four Seasons — Key Words

Comprehension Questions

1. According to the forecast, what will the afternoon be like?
2. What is the high temperature today?
3. Why does speaker A like summer?

Answers: 1. Clear / sunny. / 2. 28 degrees. / 3. Because they can go to the sea.

Yuka & Rei Read a Weather Forecast

Reading and listening get better when you also reflect and discuss. Here is how Yuka and Rei unpack the key ideas from this topic — notice the questions Yuka asks, because they’re probably the same ones you had.

Yuka

Rei, I tried reading a Japanese weather forecast and I got lost after きょうのてんき. What vocabulary do I need?

Rei

Core weather vocabulary: はれ (sunny), くもり (cloudy), あめ (rain), ゆき (snow), かぜがつよい (strong wind). Japanese forecasts use simple patterned language — once you know these five, you can parse most basic forecasts.

Yuka

I also see でしょう a lot in weather. What does it mean?

Rei

〜でしょう expresses probability — ‘it will probably be ~.’ あすはあめがふるでしょう — It will probably rain tomorrow. It’s the forecaster’s hedge. In reading, whenever you see でしょう, expect uncertainty — the speaker isn’t 100% sure. Perfect for weather!

5 Practice Sentences — Read These Aloud

These sentences use core vocabulary from this article. Read each one aloud at least three times to lock in the sound pattern.

1. きょうはくもりで、あとでゆきがふるでしょう。
   Today is cloudy, and it will probably snow later.
2. はれているのでそとであそびましょう。
   It’s sunny so let’s play outside.
3. かぜがつよいので、かさがひっくりかえりそうです。
   The wind is strong, so the umbrella might turn inside out.
4. あしたのきおんはじゅうごどくらいでしょう。
   Tomorrow’s temperature will probably be around 15 degrees.
5. てんきよほうをかくにんしてからでかけてください。
   Please check the weather forecast before heading out.

Your Turn! Leave Your Answer in the Comments

Reading and listening improve fastest when you also produce. Try writing 2–3 sentences summarising what you read, or create your own short text on the same topic using vocabulary from this article.

Post it in the comments — other learners will read it and it helps everyone. Log in to save your comment history and join the Top Commenters ranking in the sidebar!

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