Picture this: you step outside in Tokyo, look up at a grey sky, and your Japanese colleague turns to you and says 「今日は蒙ってるね」. Do you nod confidently — or smile and pretend you understood? Weather is one of the most common topics in everyday Japanese conversation, and it is often the very first thing people say when they greet each other. Learning weather vocabulary is not just practical — it is a social superpower that opens conversations and builds real connection.
This guide covers every layer of Japanese weather talk: core weather nouns, temperature adjectives, weather verbs, seasonal patterns unique to Japan, weather forecast vocabulary, and the cultural role of 天気の話 (tenki no hanashi — weather small talk). By the end, you will be ready to chat about the weather like a native.
| Japanese | Reading | English |
|---|---|---|
| 晴れ | hare | sunny / clear |
| 曇り | kumori | cloudy |
| 雨 | ame | rain |
| 雪 | yuki | snow |
| 風 | kaze | wind |
| 霧 | kiri | fog / mist |
| 嵐 | arashi | storm |
| 台風 | taifū | typhoon |
| 雷 | kaminari | thunder / lightning |
| 虹 | niji | rainbow |
Core Weather Nouns (天気の名詞 tenki no meishi)
The most important thing to understand about Japanese weather nouns is that many of them double as verbs when combined with する (suru) or になる (ni naru). The table below shows the core nouns you need first.
| Japanese | Reading | English | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 晴れ（はれ） | hare | sunny / clear sky | 今日は晴れです。 — Today is sunny. |
| 曇り（くもり） | kumori | cloudy | 一日中曇りです。 — It will be cloudy all day. |
| 雨（あめ） | ame | rain | 外は雨です。 — It is raining outside. |
| 雪（ゆき） | yuki | snow | 雪が降っています。 — It is snowing. |
| 風（かぜ） | kaze | wind | 風が強いです。 — The wind is strong. |
| 霧（きり） | kiri | fog / mist | 山に霧がかかっています。 — Fog is hanging over the mountain. |
| 嵐（あらし） | arashi | storm | 大きな嵐が来ます。 — A big storm is coming. |
| 台風（たいふう） | taifū | typhoon | 台風が接辺しています。 — A typhoon is approaching. |
| 雷（かみなり） | kaminari | thunder / lightning | 雷が鳴っています。 — There is thunder. |
| 虹（にじ） | niji | rainbow | 虹が出ました。 — A rainbow appeared. |
Learner note: 雷 (kaminari) covers both thunder (the sound) and lightning (the flash). If you want to specify, say 雷鳴り (kaminari nari — thunderclap) or 雷光 (inazuma — lightning flash), but in daily speech 雷 does the job for both.
Yuka今日は天気どうですか？ — What is the weather like today?
Rei午後から雨の予報ですよ。傍に傘を持っていきましょう。 — They are forecasting rain from the afternoon. Let’s take an umbrella.
Weather Adjectives: Temperature and Feel (天気の形容詞)
Describing how the weather feels is just as important as naming it. Japanese has a rich set of i-adjectives (い形容詞) for weather conditions. These all conjugate with い (i) at the end in their plain form.
| Japanese | Reading | English | Register / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 暑い（あつい） | atsui | hot (weather / air temperature) | Very common; daily use |
| 寒い（さむい） | samui | cold (weather / air temperature) | Very common; daily use |
| 涼しい（すずしい） | suzushii | cool / pleasantly cool | Positive; used for autumn breezes |
| 暖かい（あたたかい） | atatakai | warm / pleasantly warm | Positive; used for spring days |
| 蒸し暑い（むしあつい） | mushiatsui | hot and humid / muggy | Very common in Japanese summers |
| 肌寒い（はだざむい） | hadasamui | slightly chilly / nipping cold | Used for cool autumn / early winter days |
Common mistake — 暑い (atsui) vs 熱い (atsui): Both words are pronounced atsui and both mean “hot,” but they are written with different kanji and used in different contexts.
| Word | Kanji | Used for | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| atsui (weather) | 暑い | Air temperature, weather, the outdoors | 今日は暑い。 Today is hot. |
| atsui (object) | 熱い | Hot objects: food, drinks, water, fire | このコーヒーは熱い。 This coffee is hot. |
Common mistake — 寒い (samui) vs 冷たい (tsumetai): Similarly, 寒い describes cold weather or air temperature, while 冷たい describes cold objects you can touch — cold water, cold food, a cold surface.
| Word | Kanji | Used for | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| samui | 寒い | Cold air / weather | 威は寒いです。 Hokkaido winters are cold. |
| tsumetai | 冷たい | Cold objects, cold to the touch | コインは冷たい。 The coins are cold (to the touch). |
Weather Verbs and Expressions (天気の動詞 tenki no dōshi)
Japanese weather verbs follow predictable patterns once you know the core structure. Many use the format [weather noun] + が + [verb], where が marks the subject.
| Expression | Meaning | Breakdown |
|---|---|---|
| 雨が降る（あめがふる） | rain falls / it rains | 雨 (rain) + が + 降る (to fall) |
| 雪が積もる（ゆきがつもる） | snow piles up / accumulates | 雪 (snow) + が + 積もる (to pile up) |
| 風が吹く（かぜがふく） | wind blows | 風 (wind) + が + 吹く (to blow) |
| 晴れる（はれる） | to clear up / become sunny | Intransitive verb; describes sky clearing |
| 曇る（くもる） | to become cloudy / cloud over | Intransitive verb; describes sky clouding |
| 雪が降る（ゆきがふる） | snow falls / it snows | 雪 (snow) + が + 降る (to fall) |
| 雷が鳴る（かみなりがなる） | thunder rumbles | 雷 (thunder) + が + 鳴る (to sound / ring) |
| 雨が止む（あめがやむ） | the rain stops | 雨 (rain) + が + 止む (to stop) |
Formation note: 晴れる and 曇る are plain-form (dictionary-form) verbs. To say “it will clear up,” use the ます (masu) polite form: 晴れます. To say “it has clouded over,” use the ている (te-iru) form: 曇っています.
Yuka明日は晴れるかなぁ。そうだといいんだけど。 — I wonder if it will clear up tomorrow. I really hope so.
Rei天気予報によると、午後から晴れてくるみたいですよ。 — According to the weather forecast, it seems like it will clear up from the afternoon.
Weather Forecast Vocabulary (天気予報 tenki yohō)
Reading or listening to a Japanese weather forecast is excellent listening practice — and actually very learner-friendly because the vocabulary is standardized and repeated every day. Here are the key terms you will see on any Japanese weather app or TV broadcast.
| Japanese | Reading | English |
|---|---|---|
| 天気予報（てんきよほう） | tenki yohō | weather forecast |
| 気温（きおん） | kion | temperature (air temperature) |
| 最高気温（さいこうきおん） | saikō kion | high temperature / maximum temperature |
| 最低気温（さいていきおん） | saitei kion | low temperature / minimum temperature |
| 降水確率（こうすいかくりつ） | kōsui kakuritsu | probability of precipitation (%) |
| セルシウス（℃） | Serushiusu | Celsius (℃) |
| 時間（じかん） | jikan | hour / hours |
| 北風（ぽっぷう） | hoppū | northerly wind |
| 南風（はえかぜ） | minamikaze / haekaze | southerly wind |
| 湿度（しつど） | shitsudo | humidity |
| 気圧（きあつ） | kiatsu | atmospheric pressure |
Real-life usage example: On a Japanese weather app you might see:
最高気温 33℃ / 最低気温 26℃ / 降水確率 40%
This means: High 33℃ / Low 26℃ / 40% chance of rain. The 降水確率 number is perhaps the most useful — in Japan, anything 50% or above is a strong signal to carry an umbrella (傍（かさ）).
Japan’s Seasonal Weather Patterns (気候 kikō)
Japan has a dramatically varied climate across its four seasons, and each season brings its own vocabulary and social rituals. Understanding these patterns will help you connect weather words to real cultural context.
| Season | Japanese | Key Weather Features | Key Vocabulary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring (March–May) | 春（はる） | Mild, warming; cherry blossom season | 暖かい (warm), 天気がいい (nice weather) |
| Rainy Season (June–July) | 梅雨（つゆ） | Weeks of persistent rain and high humidity | 梅雨入り (start of rainy season), じめじめ (damp and gloomy) |
| Summer (July–September) | 夏（なつ） | Intense heat, high humidity, typhoon season | 蒸し暑い (muggy), 熱点 (heat wave) |
| Autumn (October–November) | 秋（あき） | Cool, clear, low humidity; koyo leaf season | 涼しい (cool), 空が高い (high sky / clear sky) |
| Winter (December–February) | 冬（ふゆ） | Cold; snow in north and mountains | 寒い (cold), 冗漫 (cold wave) |
The rainy season (梅雨 tsuyu): This is one of the most culturally significant weather events in Japan. Tsuyu typically arrives in early June in central Japan and lasts about 6 weeks. During this period, the word じめじめ — an onomatopoeic word for damp, gloomy, persistent drizzle — appears constantly. You will also hear 梅雨明け (tsuyu ake — end of the rainy season) celebrated enthusiastically when it finally arrives.
Typhoon season (台風シーズン taifū shīzun): Japan is regularly hit by typhoons between June and November, peaking in August and September. Weather warnings you may hear include 暴風雨特別警報 (severe storm warning) and 避難指示 (evacuation order).
Weather Small Talk: Tenki no Hanashi (天気の話)
In Japan, talking about the weather is not just filler conversation — it is a genuine social ritual. It is the safest, warmest way to open any interaction, whether with a colleague, a shopkeeper, or a neighbor. Learning a handful of set phrases will immediately make you sound more natural and culturally fluent.
| Japanese | Reading | Natural English | When to use |
|---|---|---|---|
| いい天気ですね。 | Ii tenki desu ne. | What lovely weather! | Sunny days; greeting someone |
| 寒いですね。 | Samui desu ne. | It is cold, isn’t it. | Cold days; commiseration |
| 暑いですね。 | Atsui desu ne. | It is so hot, isn’t it. | Hot days; very common summer phrase |
| 蒸し暑いですね。 | Mushiatsui desu ne. | It is muggy, isn’t it. | Humid days, especially summer |
| 雨が多いですね。 | Ame ga ōi desu ne. | There has been a lot of rain lately. | Rainy season conversations |
| やっと晴れたね。 | Yatto hareta ne. | It finally cleared up! | After rain ends; relief expression |
| 天気が変わりやすいですね。 | Tenki ga kawariyasui desu ne. | The weather changes easily, doesn’t it. | Unstable weather days |
Cultural tip: Notice how almost all of these phrases end in ね (ne). This sentence-final particle invites agreement and shared feeling — it is what makes weather talk a bonding activity rather than just information exchange. Adding ね turns a statement into “…right?” or “…isn’t it” and signals that you want connection, not just acknowledgment.
Yuka今日は晶し暑いですね！室内にいても暑いくらいです。 — It is scorching hot today, isn’t it! Even being inside is hot.
Rei本当。次の台風はいつ来るんだろう。気をつけてくださいね。 — Really. I wonder when the next typhoon will arrive. Please be careful.
Weather in Proverbs and Set Phrases (天気のことわざ)
Weather has shaped Japanese culture and language for centuries, and several important proverbs and idioms use weather imagery. These are worth learning both for the vocabulary and for the cultural insight they offer.
| Proverb / Set Phrase | Literal Meaning | What It Really Means |
|---|---|---|
| 雨降って地固まる（あめふってじかたまる） | After rain, the ground hardens. | After a hardship or conflict, things become stronger and more stable. |
| 天気雨洛（てんきうらか） | Fine weather and rain, each in its time. | Everything has its proper time and place; go with the flow. |
| 山の天気（やまのてんき） | Mountain weather | Said of a person whose mood changes suddenly and unpredictably. |
| 風を食って生きる（かぜをくっていきる） | To live eating the wind. | To live a wandering, free-spirited life with no fixed home. |
| 晴れのちゕ傘（はれのちゅかさがさ） | A sunny-day umbrella | Describes banks or fair-weather friends who help only when things are good. |
雨降って地固まる is probably the most commonly used weather proverb in modern Japanese. You might hear it after a difficult meeting resolves, a disagreement clears up, or a project recovers from a setback. It is the Japanese equivalent of “every cloud has a silver lining” — though the image is more grounded: rain literally packs the earth down and makes it stronger.
Quick Quiz: Test Your Weather Knowledge
1. What is the difference between 暑い (atsui) and 熱い (atsui)? Give one example sentence for each.
Answer: 暑い = hot weather / air temperature (今日は暑い。 Today is hot.); 熱い = hot objects to the touch (お湯が熱い。 The bath water is hot.)
2. How do you say “The wind is blowing” in Japanese?
Answer: 風が吹いています。 (Kaze ga fuite imasu.)
3. What does 降水確率 mean, and what percentage would make you carry an umbrella?
Answer: 降水確率 = probability of precipitation (chance of rain). Most Japanese people carry an umbrella when this reaches 50% or above.
4. What is 梅雨 (tsuyu), and when does it happen in central Japan?
Answer: Tsuyu is Japan’s rainy season, marked by weeks of persistent rain and high humidity. In central Japan (Tokyo area), it typically runs from early June to mid-July.
5. Translate the proverb 雨降って地固まる and explain its meaning.
Answer: Literally “after rain, the ground hardens.” Meaning: after a hardship or conflict, relationships and situations often become more solid and stable than before.
6. Fill in the blank: 風が強いですね。 — 傘は____ですか？ (umbrella)
Answer: 傘はありますか？ (Do you have an umbrella?) or 傘を持っていますか？
What Japanese weather words do you find hardest to remember — or do you have a favorite weather expression? Share in the comments below! We love hearing how learners are using these words in real life.
Want to practice Japanese weather conversation with a native speaker? Find a Japanese tutor on italki and bring your vocabulary to life.
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