Japanese Weather Phrases: Essential Expressions for Everyday Conversation

Key takeaways

• Weather is one of the most common topics of conversation in Japan, similar to British English culture, and knowing basic weather phrases opens up natural small talk with native speakers
• The main structure for weather descriptions is 天気 (tenki: weather) + は + adjective/expression: 今日は天気がいいですね (kyō wa tenki ga ii desu ne: The weather is nice today, isn’t it)
• Japan has four distinct seasons plus the rainy season (梅雨, tsuyu) and typhoon season (台風シーズン, taifū shīzun), giving learners rich vocabulary for weather-related conversation year-round
• Weather expressions in Japanese often use specific words with no direct English equivalent, such as 蒸し暑い (mushiatsui: hot and humid / muggy) and むしむし (mushimushi: oppressively humid), which are essential for describing Japanese summers

Weather conversations open naturally to deeper exchanges in Japanese. Mentioning the weather acknowledges shared experience with the people around you and shows you are present in the environment. It is one of the most useful and genuinely used categories of vocabulary for learners at all levels.

italki connects learners with Japanese teachers who can help you move beyond vocabulary lists into the natural flow of weather conversation in Japanese.

This guide covers basic weather vocabulary, describing the weather, asking about forecasts, seasonal weather expressions, Japan-specific weather phenomena, and conversational phrases for everyday weather talk.

Basic weather vocabulary

Japanese	Romaji	English
天気	tenki	weather
気候	kikō	climate
晴れ	hare	sunny / clear skies
曇り	kumori	cloudy / overcast
雨	ame	rain
雪	yuki	snow
風	kaze	wind
霧	kiri	fog / mist
雷	kaminari	thunder
雷雨	raiu	thunderstorm
嵐	arashi	storm
台風	taifū	typhoon
梅雨	tsuyu	rainy season
霰	arare	sleet / hail (small)
霜	shimo	frost
虹	niji	rainbow
吹雪	fubuki	blizzard / snowstorm
にわか雨	niwaka ame	sudden shower / passing rain

Describing the weather: core structures

The most natural structures for describing weather in Japanese:

Structure 1: 今日は [weather] です / ですね

• 今日は晴れです。(Kyō wa hare desu.): It is sunny today.
• 今日は曇りですね。(Kyō wa kumori desu ne.): It is cloudy today, isn’t it.
• 今日は雨です。(Kyō wa ame desu.): It is raining today.

Structure 2: 天気が [adjective] + です / ですね

• 今日は天気がいいですね。(Kyō wa tenki ga ii desu ne.): The weather is nice today, isn’t it.
• 天気が悪くなりそうですね。(Tenki ga waruku nari sō desu ne.): The weather looks like it is going to turn bad.

Structure 3: [Weather phenomenon] が [verb]

• 雨が降っています。(Ame ga futte imasu.): It is raining.
• 雪が降っています。(Yuki ga futte imasu.): It is snowing.
• 風が吹いています。(Kaze ga fuite imasu.): The wind is blowing.
• 雷が鳴っています。(Kaminari ga natte imasu.): Thunder is rumbling.

Key verb: 降る (furu: to fall/precipitate) is the verb for rain, snow, hail, and any precipitation falling from the sky.

Tense	Japanese	Romaji	English
Present (in progress)	雨が降っています	ame ga futte imasu	It is raining
Future / will rain	雨が降るでしょう	ame ga furu deshō	It will probably rain
Past	雨が降りました	ame ga furimashita	It rained
Likely to rain	雨が降りそうです	ame ga furi sō desu	It looks like it will rain

Asking about the weather

Japanese	Romaji	English
今日の天気はどうですか？	Kyō no tenki wa dō desu ka?	How is the weather today?
明日の天気は？	Ashita no tenki wa?	What will the weather be like tomorrow?
天気予報は何ですか？	Tenki yohō wa nan desu ka?	What is the weather forecast?
今日、雨が降りますか？	Kyō, ame ga furimasu ka?	Will it rain today?
傘が必要ですか？	Kasa ga hitsuyō desu ka?	Do I need an umbrella?
何度ですか？	Nando desu ka?	What is the temperature?
今日は何度くらいですか？	Kyō wa nando kurai desu ka?	About what temperature is it today?
週末の天気はどうですか？	Shūmatsu no tenki wa dō desu ka?	How is the weather this weekend?

The sentence-ending particle ね (ne) is very commonly added to weather comments, as it invites agreement and turns a statement into shared observation: 今日は寒いですね (it is cold today, isn’t it). This is natural small talk in Japanese and shows you are engaged with the shared environment.

Temperature vocabulary

Japanese	Romaji	English	Notes
暑い	atsui	hot	For weather and outdoor temperature
熱い	atsui	hot (to touch)	For objects (food, drink); same pronunciation as 暑い
寒い	samui	cold	For weather and the feeling of being cold
冷たい	tsumetai	cold (to touch)	For objects: cold drink, cold wind on skin
涼しい	suzushii	cool / refreshing	Pleasantly cool; typical for early autumn
暖かい	atatakai	warm	Pleasant warmth; typical for spring
蒸し暑い	mushiatsui	hot and humid / muggy	Essential for Japanese summer
ひんやり	hinyari	chilly / pleasantly cool	Gentle coolness; often with a refreshing nuance
肌寒い	hisamui	chilly / slightly cold	The just-starting-to-feel-cold of early autumn or evening

Important distinction: 暑い vs 熱い and 寒い vs 冷たい

• 暑い (atsui: hot weather / feeling hot from the environment)
• 熱い (atsui: hot to the touch or hot food/drink)
• 寒い (samui: cold weather / feeling cold from the environment)
• 冷たい (tsumetai: cold to the touch, cold object, or cold wind felt on skin)

Using 熱い for the weather (saying 天気が熱い) is an error; 暑い is correct for outdoor heat.

Seasonal weather in Japan

Season	Japanese	Romaji	Typical weather
Spring	春	haru	Mild; cherry blossom season; occasional cold spells
Summer	夏	natsu	Hot and humid; typhoon season (August-September)
Autumn	秋	aki	Clear skies; cooling temperatures; colorful leaves
Winter	冬	fuyu	Cold; snow in northern regions and mountains; dry in much of Honshu
Rainy season	梅雨	tsuyu	Late June to mid-July in most of Japan; persistent rain

Seasonal weather phrases:

Japanese	Romaji	English
桜が咲いていますよ	Sakura ga saite imasu yo	The cherry blossoms are blooming
もう夏ですね	Mō natsu desu ne	It is already summer, isn’t it
秋らしくなってきましたね	Aki rashiku natte kimashita ne	It has started to feel like autumn, hasn’t it
今年の冬は厳しいですね	Kotoshi no fuyu wa kibishii desu ne	This year’s winter is harsh, isn’t it
花粉症の季節ですね	Kafunshō no kisetsu desu ne	It is hay fever season, isn’t it
もうすぐ梅雨ですね	Mō sugu tsuyu desu ne	The rainy season is coming soon, isn’t it

Seasons in Japanese connect naturally with weather phrases because the four seasons shape everyday small talk in Japan.

Japan-specific weather phenomena

Japan has several weather phenomena that have their own vocabulary and cultural significance:

Japanese	Romaji	English	Notes
梅雨	tsuyu	Rainy season	Late June to mid-July; continuous overcast and rain; named for plum ripening season
台風	taifū	Typhoon	Tropical cyclones affecting Japan, mainly August-September
花粉症	kafunshō	Hay fever / pollen allergy	Affects millions in spring (cedar pollen); a major national conversation topic
黄砂	kōsa	Yellow sand / dust	Yellow dust blown from China and Mongolia; common in spring
春一番	haru ichiban	First spring wind	The first strong southerly wind of the year, signaling the end of winter
天気雨	tenki ame	Sun shower	Rain falling while the sun is shining (literally weather rain)
夕立	yūdachi	Summer evening shower	Sudden, heavy rain in the late afternoon, typical in summer
木枯らし	kogarashi	Cold winter wind	Piercing cold wind in late autumn and winter; has a poetic, literary nuance
吹雪	fubuki	Blizzard	Heavy snow with strong wind

Note on 梅雨 (tsuyu): The rainy season is a significant weather event in Japan with its own social vocabulary. 梅雨入り (tsuyu iri: start of the rainy season) and 梅雨明け (tsuyu ake: end of the rainy season) are both announced by the Japan Meteorological Agency and are widely discussed in the media and daily conversation.

Weather forecast vocabulary

Japanese	Romaji	English
天気予報	tenki yohō	weather forecast
晴れのち曇り	hare nochi kumori	sunny then cloudy
曇りのち雨	kumori nochi ame	cloudy then rainy
降水確率	kōsui kakuritsu	probability of precipitation
最高気温	saikō kion	maximum temperature
最低気温	saitei kion	minimum temperature
気温	kion	air temperature
湿度	shitsudo	humidity
風速	fūsoku	wind speed
強風注意報	kyōfū chūihō	strong wind advisory
大雨警報	ōame keihō	heavy rain warning
台風警報	taifū keihō	typhoon warning
避難勧告	hinan kankoku	evacuation advisory

Reading Japanese weather forecasts: Japanese weather forecasts frequently use のち (nochi: later / then) and 時々 (tokidoki: sometimes / occasionally) to describe changing conditions:

• 晴れ時々曇り (hare tokidoki kumori: sunny with occasional clouds)
• 曇りのち晴れ (kumori nochi hare: cloudy becoming sunny)

Weather-related conversational phrases

These phrases go beyond basic descriptions into natural conversation:

Japanese	Romaji	English	Notes
いい天気ですね	ii tenki desu ne	Nice weather, isn’t it	Standard small talk opener
最近暑いですね	saikin atsui desu ne	It has been hot lately, hasn’t it	Opens weather small talk
雨が続きますね	ame ga tsuzukimasu ne	The rain keeps going, doesn’t it	During a rainy spell
傘持ってきた？	kasa motte kita?	Did you bring an umbrella? (casual)	Natural casual question
今日は天気が崩れそうですね	kyō wa tenki ga kuzure sō desu ne	The weather looks like it might turn bad today	Slightly advanced phrase
こんな天気が続くと嫌ですね	konna tenki ga tsuzuku to iya desu ne	It would be unpleasant if this weather kept up	Expressing mild complaint
外は何度くらいですか？	soto wa nando kurai desu ka	About what temperature is it outside?
秋晴れで気持ちいいですね	akibare de kimochi ii desu ne	The clear autumn sky is pleasant, isn’t it	秋晴れ (akibare) means clear autumn sky
花粉がひどいですね	kafun ga hidoi desu ne	The pollen is terrible, isn’t it	Spring conversation topic

A Japanese tutor can practice these conversational phrases with you in simulated small talk situations so they feel natural when you use them with Japanese colleagues or neighbors.

Weather and daily life vocabulary

Japanese	Romaji	English
傘	kasa	umbrella
折り畳み傘	oritatami gasa	folding umbrella
コート	kōto	coat
マフラー	mafurā	scarf
手袋	tebukuro	gloves
長靴	nagagutsu	rain boots
日傘	higasa	parasol / sun umbrella
サングラス	sangurasu	sunglasses
扇風機	senpūki	electric fan
エアコン	eakon	air conditioning
暖房	danbō	heating
冷房	reibō	air conditioning (specifically for cooling)
除湿機	joshitsuki	dehumidifier

Note: In Japan, 扇子 (sensu: folding fan) and うちわ (uchiwa: flat fan) are still commonly used in summer. Carrying and using a fan in summer is completely normal and practical.

Practice Japanese conversation with a tutor

Weather vocabulary works best when it is practiced in real conversational turns, where you are forming and responding to comments naturally rather than reading from a list. The sentence-final particles (ね, よ, よね) that make weather comments sound natural in Japanese are especially difficult to learn from a page; they need to be heard and used in context. italki has 30,000+ expert tutors trusted by over 10 million learners worldwide, including Japanese tutors who can guide you through natural conversation practice and help you build the small talk skills that open doors to deeper communication with native speakers. Book a trial lesson and start speaking Japanese that sounds natural from the first exchange.

FAQ

Why is weather such a common topic of conversation in Japan?

Weather conversation serves as a social function in Japan similar to how it does in Britain or the Netherlands: it is a shared, neutral topic that allows for social connection without requiring personal information or potentially sensitive subjects. In Japan, the distinct seasons, the dramatic summer humidity, the rainy season, and typhoons all provide genuinely eventful weather that people share experiences around. Commenting on the weather also uses the sentence-final particle ね (ne), which invites agreement and shared feeling, reinforcing the social bond between speakers.

What is the difference between 寒い (samui) and 冷たい (tsumetai)?

Both mean cold, but they apply to different types of cold. 寒い (samui) describes ambient coldness: cold weather, a cold room, or the sensation of feeling cold from the environment. 冷たい (tsumetai) describes the physical sensation of touching something cold or the temperature of an object: a cold drink, cold water, a cold breeze on your skin. Saying 今日は冷たいです (using tsumetai for today’s weather) would sound unusual; the correct form is 今日は寒いです. Conversely, you would not use 寒い to describe a cold drink; 冷たい飲み物 is correct.

What should I know about typhoon language in Japanese?

Typhoons (台風, taifū) directly affect Japan every year, usually between August and October. The Japan Meteorological Agency uses specific warning levels (注意報 chūihō: advisory; 警報 keihō: warning; 特別警報 tokubetsu keihō: special warning for extreme events). Knowing 台風接近中 (taifū sessen-chū: typhoon approaching) and 避難してください (hinan shite kudasai: please evacuate) are practically important. In daily conversation during typhoon season, 台風が来るらしいよ (taifū ga kuru rashii yo: a typhoon seems to be coming) is a very natural conversational warning between colleagues or neighbors.