Japanese Weather Kanji: Learn Weather & Season Words in Japanese
Master Japanese weather and season kanji: 天 (ten/sky), 雨 (ame/rain), 雪 (yuki/snow), 風 (kaze/wind), and the four seasons 春夏秋冬. Each kanji includes the character, hiragana reading, romaji pronunciation, and example sentences for daily conversation.
Japanese Weather Kanji at a Glance
The Rain Radical (雨)
Many weather kanji share the rain radical 雨 (ame-kanmuri) at the top. You'll see it in 雪 (snow), 雲 (cloud), 雷 (thunder), and 霧 (fog). Recognizing this radical instantly tells you a kanji is weather-related.
Four Seasons Culture
Japan celebrates four distinct seasons (四季 shiki). Season kanji appear everywhere: greetings, food names, festivals, and haiku poetry. Knowing 春夏秋冬 is essential to understanding Japanese culture.
JLPT Levels
Core weather kanji like 天, 雨, 風 and the four seasons are JLPT N5-N4 level. Extended weather vocabulary like 雷 (thunder), 霧 (fog), and 嵐 (storm) appear at N3-N2.
Common Japanese Weather & Season Kanji
These fourteen kanji cover weather phenomena, the four seasons, and key climate-related concepts used in everyday Japanese.
| Meaning | Kanji | Hiragana | Romaji | JLPT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sky / Heaven | 天 | てん | ten | N5 |
| Weather | 気 | き | ki | N5 |
| Rain | 雨 | あめ | ame | N5 |
| Snow | 雪 | ゆき | yuki | N4 |
| Wind | 風 | かぜ | kaze | N4 |
| Cloud | 雲 | くも | kumo | N3 |
| Thunder | 雷 | かみなり | kaminari | N2 |
| Storm | 嵐 | あらし | arashi | N1 |
| Spring | 春 | はる | haru | N4 |
| Summer | 夏 | なつ | natsu | N4 |
| Autumn | 秋 | あき | aki | N4 |
| Winter | 冬 | ふゆ | fuyu | N4 |
| Clear / Sunny | 晴 | はれ | hare | N3 |
| Hot | 暑 | あつい | atsui | N4 |
All Japanese Weather & Season Kanji
Explore each weather kanji with its readings and an example sentence used in everyday Japanese.
Example:
今日は天気がいいですね。
Kyou wa tenki ga ii desu ne.
The weather is nice today, isn't it?
Example:
天気予報を確認してください。
Tenki yohou o kakunin shite kudasai.
Please check the weather forecast.
Example:
明日は雨が降るでしょう。
Ashita wa ame ga furu deshou.
It will probably rain tomorrow.
Example:
北海道では雪がたくさん降ります。
Hokkaidou de wa yuki ga takusan furimasu.
It snows a lot in Hokkaido.
Example:
今日は風が強いです。
Kyou wa kaze ga tsuyoi desu.
The wind is strong today.
Example:
空に大きな雲が浮かんでいます。
Sora ni ookina kumo ga ukande imasu.
A large cloud is floating in the sky.
Example:
雷が鳴っているので外に出ないでください。
Kaminari ga natte iru node soto ni denai de kudasai.
Please don't go outside because there's thunder.
Example:
嵐の前は静かです。
Arashi no mae wa shizuka desu.
It is calm before the storm.
Example:
春になると桜が咲きます。
Haru ni naru to sakura ga sakimasu.
When spring comes, the cherry blossoms bloom.
Example:
夏休みに海へ行きました。
Natsuyasumi ni umi e ikimashita.
I went to the beach during summer vacation.
Example:
秋は紅葉がきれいです。
Aki wa kouyou ga kirei desu.
The autumn leaves are beautiful in fall.
Example:
冬は温泉に入りたいです。
Fuyu wa onsen ni hairitai desu.
I want to go to a hot spring in winter.
Example:
明日は晴れるといいですね。
Ashita wa hareru to ii desu ne.
I hope it will be sunny tomorrow.
Example:
今日はとても暑いです。
Kyou wa totemo atsui desu.
It is very hot today.
Weather & Season Compound Words (Jukugo)
Japanese creates rich weather vocabulary by combining kanji. These compound words are essential for weather forecasts, seasonal greetings, and everyday conversation.
| Compound | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 天気 | てんき (tenki) | Weather (lit. sky + spirit) |
| 天気予報 | てんきよほう (tenki yohou) | Weather forecast |
| 大雨 | おおあめ (ooame) | Heavy rain (lit. big + rain) |
| 大雪 | おおゆき (ooyuki) | Heavy snow (lit. big + snow) |
| 台風 | たいふう (taifuu) | Typhoon (lit. platform + wind) |
| 春分 | しゅんぶん (shunbun) | Vernal equinox (lit. spring + divide) |
| 夏至 | げし (geshi) | Summer solstice (lit. summer + reach) |
| 秋分 | しゅうぶん (shuubun) | Autumnal equinox (lit. autumn + divide) |
| 冬至 | とうじ (touji) | Winter solstice (lit. winter + reach) |
| 四季 | しき (shiki) | Four seasons (lit. four + season) |
| 風雨 | ふうう (fuuu) | Wind and rain / storm |
| 雷雨 | らいう (raiu) | Thunderstorm (lit. thunder + rain) |
| 晴天 | せいてん (seiten) | Clear sky (lit. clear + sky) |
| 猛暑 | もうしょ (mousho) | Extreme heat (lit. fierce + hot) |
Weather & Seasons in Japanese Culture
The Four Seasons (四季 Shiki)
Japan's culture revolves around its four distinct seasons. Each season has associated foods, festivals, greetings, and aesthetic concepts. Cherry blossoms (桜) mark spring, fireworks (花火) define summer, red leaves (紅葉) celebrate autumn, and hot springs (温泉) warm winter.
Weather-Related Expressions
Weather kanji appear in many common Japanese expressions and proverbs (kotowaza).
嵐の前の静けさ
Arashi no mae no shizukesa
"The calm before the storm": A peaceful moment before trouble arrives.
雨降って地固まる
Ame futte ji katamaru
"After rain, the ground hardens": Adversity strengthens bonds and resolves.
春眠暁を覚えず
Shunmin akatsuki o oboezu
"In spring sleep, one doesn't notice the dawn": Spring mornings are so pleasant you oversleep.
風の便り
Kaze no tayori
"News on the wind": Hearing about something through the grapevine or rumor.
Tips for Remembering Japanese Weather Kanji
Look for the Rain Radical
The 雨 (ame-kanmuri) radical sits on top of many weather kanji: 雪 (snow), 雲 (cloud), 雷 (thunder), 霧 (fog). When you see those four dots under a horizontal line at the top, you know it's weather-related.
Learn Seasons as a Set
Memorize 春夏秋冬 (haru-natsu-aki-fuyu) as a four-character set. This order (spring-summer-autumn-winter) is always used in Japanese, and recognizing the set helps you recall each season instantly.
Watch Weather Forecasts
Japanese TV weather forecasts (天気予報 tenki yohou) are excellent listening practice. They use weather kanji repeatedly with visual cues, making it easy to connect the characters to real conditions.
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