Weather is one of the most common small-talk topics, but many weather words don't appear in textbooks until the intermediate level. Here's a practical reference organized by category.
Weather Phenomena
| English | Japanese | Reading | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 雹 | ひょう | |
| Lightning | 稲妻 | いなずま | 雷 (かみなり) = thunder |
| Rainbow | 虹 | にじ | |
| Frost | 霜 | しも | |
| Dew | 露 | つゆ | Same sound as 梅雨 (rainy season) |
| Fog | 霧 | きり | |
| Smog | スモッグ | スモッグ | From English "smog" |
| Blizzard | 吹雪 | ふぶき | |
| Drought | 干ばつ | かんばつ | |
| Flood | 洪水 | こうずい |
稲妻 vs. 雷: 稲妻 (いなずま) refers to the flash of lightning, while 雷 (かみなり) refers to thunder or the storm itself. "Thunder strikes" = 雷が鳴る, "Lightning flashes" = 稲妻が光る.
Weather Descriptions
| English | Japanese | Reading | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Humid/muggy | 蒸し暑い | むしあつい | Common during rainy season |
| Cool/refreshing | 涼しい | すずしい | |
| Freezing cold | 凍えるような寒さ | こごえるようなさむさ | |
| Clear skies | 快晴 | かいせい | More formal than 晴れ |
| Cloudy | 曇り | くもり |
Example Sentences
今日は雹が降るかもしれないから、車を屋根の下に入れておこう。 It might hail today, so let's park the car under the roof.
稲妻が光った直後に、大きな雷が鳴った。 Right after the lightning flashed, there was a loud crack of thunder.
梅雨の時期は毎日蒸し暑くてたまらない。 During the rainy season, it's unbearably muggy every day.
吹雪で電車が止まってしまった。 The trains stopped running because of the blizzard.
Weather Forecast Vocabulary
| Japanese | Reading | English |
|---|---|---|
| 降水確率 | こうすいかくりつ | Chance of precipitation |
| 最高気温 | さいこうきおん | High temperature |
| 最低気温 | さいていきおん | Low temperature |
| 注意報 | ちゅういほう | Weather advisory |
| 警報 | けいほう | Weather warning |
A common forecast phrase: 午後から雷雨の恐れがあります (There's a chance of thunderstorms from the afternoon).
Summary
- Hail → 雹 (ひょう)
- Lightning → 稲妻 (いなずま), Thunder → 雷 (かみなり)
- Weather descriptions: 蒸し暑い (muggy), 涼しい (cool), 快晴 (clear)
- Forecast vocabulary is fairly consistent — learn a few key terms and you can follow NHK weather reports
Self-Check
Q1. How do you say "It might hail today" in Japanese?
Show answer
今日は雹が降るかもしれない。
雹 = ひょう (hail), 降る = ふる (to fall).
Q2. What's the difference between 稲妻 and 雷?
Show answer
稲妻 (いなずま) is the flash of lightning (visual). 雷 (かみなり) is thunder or the storm itself (auditory).
Q3. How do you say "The trains stopped because of the blizzard" in Japanese?
Show answer
吹雪で電車が止まってしまった。
吹雪 = ふぶき (blizzard), 止まる = とまる (to stop).