JLPT N5 · Vocabulary by topic
JLPT N5 Japanese Weather Vocabulary
Sunny, rainy, cool, and cold: everyday Japanese weather words at JLPT N5, including how to say cool weather.
Why this list
Weather is the safest small-talk topic in Japan, just like in English. 今日は暑いですね (kyō wa atsui desu ne) — 'It's hot today, isn't it?' — is the conversational warm-up natives use with strangers in elevators, on trains, and at the konbini.
Rain uses 降る (ふる, furu), 'to fall': 雨が降っています (ame ga futte imasu). Keep that rain line for precipitation; temperature uses a different pair, covered in the cool versus cold mini-lesson below.
Cool weather vs cold weather
English 'cool' is not 寒い. For pleasant cool air, say 涼しい. Use 寒い when the air itself feels cold. 冷たい is a different word: cold to the touch, not the weather report.
今日は涼しいです。
きょうは すずしいです。
Kyō wa suzushii desu.
It's cool today. (pleasant, refreshing air)
Say it: Four morae: su-zu-shi-i. Keep the long しい; do not clip it to 'suzushi'.
今日は寒いです。
きょうは さむいです。
Kyō wa samui desu.
It's cold today. (the air / the weather)
Say it: Three morae: sa-mu-i. This is weather-cold, the opposite of 暑い (hot weather).
水が冷たいです。
みずが つめたいです。
Mizu ga tsumetai desu.
The water is cold. (to the touch, not 'cold weather')
Say it: tsu-me-ta-i. Use this for drinks, hands, and surfaces. Do not use 涼しい or 寒い for a cold glass.
Drill these on the free flashcard tool, then continue the word list.
The 20 words
| Kanji | Kana | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 天気 | てんき | tenki | weather |
| 晴れ | はれ | hare | sunny |
| 曇り | くもり | kumori | cloudy |
| 雨 | あめ | ame | rain |
| 雪 | ゆき | yuki | snow |
| 風 | かぜ | kaze | wind |
| 台風 | たいふう | taifū | typhoon |
| 暑い | あつい | atsui | hot (weather) |
| 寒い | さむい | samui | cold (weather)(air/weather, not objects) |
| 暖かい | あたたかい | atatakai | warm |
| 涼しい | すずしい | suzushii | cool (pleasant weather) |
| 気温 | きおん | kion | temperature |
| 春 | はる | haru | spring |
| 夏 | なつ | natsu | summer |
| 秋 | あき | aki | autumn |
| 冬 | ふゆ | fuyu | winter |
| 季節 | きせつ | kisetsu | season |
| 空 | そら | sora | sky |
| 雲 | くも | kumo | cloud |
| 太陽 | たいよう | taiyō | sun |
Common questions
Why are 雨 (rain) and 飴 (candy) the same reading?+
They're both pronounced あめ (ame) but distinguished by pitch accent: 雨 is atamadaka (high-low), 飴 is heiban (flat). Native speakers hear the difference immediately. This is why pitch accent matters even for beginners — eventually.
How do I say 'it's raining' in Japanese?+
雨が降っています (ame ga futte imasu) — 'rain is falling.' The verb 降る (furu, to fall) is the canonical weather verb. 雪が降っています for snow. For finished events: 雨が降りました.
How do I say cool weather in Japanese?+
Use 涼しい (すずしい, suzushii) for pleasant cool weather: 今日は涼しいです. Cold weather is 寒い (さむい, samui): 今日は寒いです. A cold drink is 冷たい (つめたい, tsumetai), not 寒い.
Are seasonal greetings really common in Japan?+
Yes. Spoken weather small-talk is universal, and written seasonal greetings (寒中見舞い in winter, 残暑見舞い in late summer) are standard correspondence. N5 weather vocab is the foundation for both.
Related
These 20 words are part of this site's themed N5 editorial selection. Inku's mobile app expands that into a 551-card N5 bundle with bundled pronunciation audio and FSRS spaced review. Download Inku.