寒 means “cold (weather)”

さむ · samu

Also: cold

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

さむい

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

カン

JLPT N4 · Taught in grade 3 · 12 strokes

The story

Huddled under a roof with straw below: 寒い (samui) is the biting cold of winter. The character captures the feeling of seeking warmth inside when the world outside freezes.

Used in 寒波 (kanpa, cold wave) and 寒冬 (kantou, severe winter)

More from Weather & Sky

• 温 warm
• 冷 cold
• 涼 cool
• 熱 heat
• 吹 blow
• 虹 rainbow
• 凍 freeze
• 乾 dry
• 湿 humid
• 陽 sunshine
• 影 shadow
• 天 heaven

Learn 寒 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.