Weather and Season Vocabulary

Weather and Season Vocabulary

Weather and season vocabulary covers words for describing air conditions, natural phenomena, and the four seasons. N4 questions usually ask for selecting the appropriate word, reading or writing kanji, or pairing an adjective or verb that fits a weather phenomenon. The key is to understand the meaning of each word and to distinguish pairs that are easily confused.

• Adjectives for temperature and air conditions
• 寒い(さむい, cold) — low air temperature. Used for the weather and also for a body that feels cold. Its て-form 寒くて is used to join sentences. 例) 冬は寒いので、手袋をします。
• 暑い(あつい, hot) — high air temperature, used for the weather. 例) 今年の夏はとても暑いですね。
• 熱い(あつい, hot) — hot in objects, water, or food, not in the weather. The kanji 熱 and 暑 are both read あつい, but their meanings differ. 例) このスープは熱いので、少し冷ましましょう。
• 暖かい(あたたかい, warm) — a warm and comfortable temperature. The form 暖い is not standard. 例) 春は暖かくて過ごしやすいです。
• 涼しい(すずしい, cool) — air that is not hot and feels pleasant. Used for wind or cool air coming in from outside. 例) 夕方になると涼しい風が吹いてきます。
• 蒸し暑い(むしあつい, hot and humid/muggy) — heat accompanied by high humidity. This word is formed from 蒸す(むす, to be humid) and 暑い. In the rainy season 梅雨(つゆ, rainy season), the air often feels like this. This word is not used to describe wind, and it is not used for winter. Its close synonym is じめじめして暑い. 例) 梅雨の時期は蒸し暑くて、洗濯物が乾きにくいです。
• 気温(きおん, air temperature) — 気温が低い (the temperature is low) means cold, and 気温が高い (the temperature is high) means hot. 例) 朝は気温が低いので、上着を着ます。

• Kanji and readings of weather vocabulary
• 天気(てんき, weather) — 天 is read てん and 気 is read き. Do not confuse it with 電気(でんき, electricity), which sounds similar. 例) 週末の天気はくもりのようです。
• 台風(たいふう, typhoon) — 台 is read たい and 風 is read ふう. Commonly mistaken readings are だいふう, たいぶう, and たいふ. The writings 大風, 太風, and 対風 are also not appropriate for the meaning typhoon. 例) 台風が近づいているので、外出を控えましょう。
• 雨(あめ, rain) — read あめ in the kun reading. The kanji 天 means sky, not rain. 例) 明日は雨が降るかもしれません。
• 雪(ゆき, snow) — read ゆき. The kanji 雲(くも, cloud), 雷(かみなり, thunder), and 電(でん, electricity) have different meanings. 例) 北の地方では冬に雪がよく積もります。
• 春(はる, spring) — the kanji 春 is used for the season, whereas 張る(はる, to stretch), 晴れ(はれ, clear weather), and 治る(なおる, to heal) have different meanings. 例) 春になると、人々は花見に出かけます。
• 夏(なつ, summer), 冬(ふゆ, winter), 秋(あき, autumn) — the four seasons used in sentences about habits or temperature. 例) 夏は海へ行く人が多いです。

• Verbs for weather phenomena and natural conditions