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N5  ·  40 words

Weather and seasons

Rain, sun, heat and cold, and the four seasons of the year.

Two pairs of adjectives do most of the work: 暑(あつ)い and 寒(さむ)い for heat and cold in the air, and 暖(あたた)かい and 涼(すず)しい for the pleasant temperatures between them. English uses "hot" and "cold" for the weather and for things you touch alike; Japanese does not — a cold drink is 冷(つめ)たい, never 寒(さむ)い. Nor does it "rain": rain and snow fall, 雨(あめ)が降(ふ)ります.

The words

Verb (4)

晴(は)れるto clear up; to be fineVerbN5
朝(あさ)は雨(あめ)でしたが、午後(ごご)は晴(は)れました。It rained in the morning, but it cleared up in the afternoon.
降(ふ)るto fall (of rain or snow)VerbN5
外(そと)は雨(あめ)が降(ふ)っています。It is raining outside.

Japanese has no verb "to rain": 雨(あめ)が降(ふ)る, rain falls.

やむto stop (of rain or snow)VerbN4
雨(あめ)がやみました。出(で)かけましょう。The rain has stopped. Let's go out.

Usually written in kana.

溶(と)けるto meltVerbN4
暖(あたた)かくなって、雪(ゆき)が溶(と)けました。It got warmer and the snow melted.

Noun (29)

天気(てんき)weatherNounN5
今日(きょう)はいい天気(てんき)ですね。Lovely weather today, isn't it?

いい天気(てんき) on its own means fine, sunny weather.

晴(は)れfine weather; sunnyNounN5
明日(あした)は晴(は)れでしょう。It will probably be sunny tomorrow.
雨(あめ)rainNounN5
雨(あめ)の日(ひ)は家(いえ)で本(ほん)を読(よ)みます。On rainy days I read at home.
雪(ゆき)snowNounN5
北海道(ほっかいどう)では冬(ふゆ)にたくさん雪(ゆき)が降(ふ)ります。In Hokkaido a lot of snow falls in winter.
空(そら)skyNounN5
今日(きょう)は空(そら)がとても青(あお)いです。The sky is very blue today.
雲(くも)cloudNounN5
空(そら)に白(しろ)い雲(くも)が浮(う)かんでいます。White clouds are floating in the sky.
太陽(たいよう)the sunNounN4
太陽(たいよう)が出(で)て、暖(あたた)かくなりました。The sun came out and it got warmer.
春(はる)springNounN5
春(はる)は暖(あたた)かくて、気持(きも)ちがいいです。Spring is warm and pleasant.
夏(なつ)summerNounN5
日本(にほん)の夏(なつ)はとても暑(あつ)いです。Summer in Japan is very hot.
秋(あき)autumnNounN5
秋(あき)は涼(すず)しいので、好(す)きです。I like autumn because it is cool.
冬(ふゆ)winterNounN5
冬(ふゆ)は朝(あさ)起(お)きるのが大変(たいへん)です。In winter, getting up in the morning is hard.
季節(きせつ)seasonNounN4
どの季節(きせつ)が一番(いちばん)好(す)きですか。Which season do you like best?
梅雨(つゆ)the rainy season (early summer)NounN4
六月(ろくがつ)は梅雨(つゆ)で、雨(あめ)の日(ひ)が多(おお)いです。June is the rainy season, and there are many rainy days.

Roughly June to the middle of July in most of Japan.

大雨(おおあめ)heavy rainNounN4
大雨(おおあめ)で電車(でんしゃ)が止(と)まりました。The trains stopped because of the heavy rain.
桜(さくら)cherry blossom; cherry treeNounN4
東京(とうきょう)の桜(さくら)は三月(さんがつ)の終(お)わりごろに咲(さ)きます。In Tokyo the cherry trees blossom around the end of March.
暑(あつ)さthe heatNounN4
日本(にほん)の夏(なつ)の暑(あつ)さにびっくりしました。I was surprised by the heat of the Japanese summer.
寒(さむ)さthe coldNounN4
冬(ふゆ)の寒(さむ)さが苦手(にがて)です。I do not cope well with the winter cold.
温度(おんど)temperatureNounN4
部屋(へや)の温度(おんど)は何度(なんど)ですか。What is the temperature in the room?

Of anything — a room, water, an oven. The temperature of the air outside is 気温(きおん).

暖房(だんぼう)heatingNounN4
寒(さむ)いですね。暖房(だんぼう)をつけましょうか。It's cold. Shall I turn the heating on?
冷房(れいぼう)air conditioning (cooling)NounN4
電車(でんしゃ)の中(なか)は冷房(れいぼう)が強(つよ)いです。The air conditioning on the train is turned up high.
氷(こおり)iceNounN4
寒(さむ)い朝(あさ)、道(みち)に氷(こおり)がありました。On a cold morning there was ice on the road.
星(ほし)starNounN5
今夜(こんや)は星(ほし)がよく見(み)えます。The stars are easy to see tonight.
月(つき)the moonNounN5
空(そら)に丸(まる)い月(つき)が出(で)ています。A round moon is out in the sky.

The same kanji names the months, but there it is read がつ: 一月(いちがつ).

雷(かみなり)thunder; lightningNounN4
夜(よる)、大(おお)きな雷(かみなり)の音(おと)がしました。In the night there was a loud clap of thunder.
夏休(なつやす)みthe summer holidaysNounN5
夏休(なつやす)みに海(うみ)へ行(い)きました。I went to the seaside in the summer holidays.
冬休(ふゆやす)みthe winter holidaysNounN5
冬休(ふゆやす)みにスキーに行(い)きます。I am going skiing in the winter holidays.
一年中(いちねんじゅう)all year roundNounN4
この山(やま)には一年中(いちねんじゅう)雪(ゆき)があります。There is snow on this mountain all year round.
春休(はるやす)みthe spring holidaysNounN4
春休(はるやす)みに友達(ともだち)と京都(きょうと)へ行(い)きます。I am going to Kyoto with friends in the spring holidays.

In Japan the break between two school years, from late March into early April.

マイナスminus (below zero)NounN4
今朝(けさ)はマイナス五度(ごど)でした。It was minus five degrees this morning.

i-adjective (6)

暑(あつ)いhot (weather)i-adjectiveN5
今日(きょう)は本当(ほんとう)に暑(あつ)いですね。It is really hot today, isn't it?

For the weather, a room or how hot you feel. A hot drink is 熱(あつ)い — the same sound, another kanji.

寒(さむ)いcold (weather)i-adjectiveN5
寒(さむ)いですから、窓(まど)を閉(し)めてください。It is cold, so please close the window.
暖(あたた)かいwarm (weather)i-adjectiveN5
三月(さんがつ)になって、暖(あたた)かくなりました。Now that it is March, it has got warmer.

For the air; warm food or a warm heart is written 温(あたた)かい.

涼(すず)しいcool (pleasantly)i-adjectiveN5
朝(あさ)と夜(よる)は涼(すず)しいです。Mornings and evenings are cool.
蒸(む)し暑(あつ)いhot and humidi-adjectiveN4
東京(とうきょう)の夏(なつ)は蒸(む)し暑(あつ)いです。Summers in Tokyo are hot and humid.
冷(つめ)たいcold (to the touch)i-adjectiveN5
冷(つめ)たい雨(あめ)が降(ふ)っています。A cold rain is falling.

For water, drinks, rain or a hand; cold air is 寒(さむ)い.

Counter (1)

〜度(ど)degree (of temperature)CounterN5
今日(きょう)は三十度(さんじゅうど)まで上(あ)がりました。It went up to thirty degrees today.

Also counts times: 一度(いちど), once.

This list belongs to Nature, weather and environment — ten lists and 401 words that can also be practised as a whole.

Practise this list

Multiple choice and gaps, drawn from exactly these 40 words. Whatever you get wrong comes back tomorrow.