Weather and Seasons

Weather vocabulary

Weather vocabulary covers words for the state of the sky, rain and snow, temperature, and the names of the seasons. In the exam, these words are tested through kanji readings, writing kanji from hiragana, and finding the closest paraphrase in meaning. Learn each word together with the verb or adjective that usually accompanies it.

Sky and weather conditions

• 天気(てんき, weather) — a general word for weather conditions, read てんき (天 = てん, 気 = き). This word is used in forecasts, for example 「明日は天気がいいでしょう」 (the weather will probably be good tomorrow). Distinguish it from 電気(でんき, electricity), which is read でんき because of the dakuon at the beginning of the word. てんぎ and てんけ are not readings of this word.
• 晴れ(はれ, clear sky) / 晴れる(はれる, to clear up) — a state of the sky without thick clouds and without rain. 晴れ is a noun, and 晴れる is a verb. In a sentence, 晴れる can be paraphrased as 「天気がいい」. The て form 「晴れて」 is used to link the clear state with its result. Do not confuse it with 春(はる, spring), which is also read はる.
• 曇り(くもり, cloudy weather) / 曇る(くもる, to become cloudy) — a state in which the sky is covered with clouds. The て form 「曇って」 is used to express an ongoing cloudy state, for example 「曇っていて星が見えない」 (it is cloudy, so the stars cannot be seen). This state is the opposite of 晴れ.
• 雨(あめ, rain) — water falling from the sky, read あめ. It is paired with the verb 降る(ふる, to fall): 「雨が降る」. The form 「雨が降っている」 expresses rain that is falling now. The て form 「降って」 is also used for ongoing states.
• 雪(ゆき, snow) — white ice crystals falling from the sky, read ゆき. It is also paired with 降る: 「雪が降る」.
• 風(かぜ, wind) — air in motion. Its strength is expressed with 強い(つよい, strong) or 弱い(よわい, weak), not with 降る.
• 空(そら, sky), 雲(くも, cloud) — 空 is the sky in general, and 雲 is a cloud. Neither of them means rain or snow.