# JLPT N5 Japanese Weather Vocabulary

> Compare 涼しい (すずしい, suzushii) for cool weather with 寒い (さむい, samui) for cold weather, and learn the seasons.

Canonical: https://inkujapanese.com/jlpt/n5/vocabulary/weather
Last updated: 2026-09-10

Sunny, rainy, cool, and cold: everyday Japanese weather words at JLPT N5, including how to say cool weather.

[Bao H.](https://inkujapanese.com/authors/bao-hua)Updated September 10, 20266 min read

## Short answer

Cool weather in Japanese is 涼しい (すずしい, suzushii): pleasant, refreshing cool, not freezing. Cold weather is 寒い (さむい, samui). N5 also covers the four seasons and the main weather types (sunny, rainy, cloudy, snowy).

## 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) means 'It's hot today, isn't it?' 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](https://inkujapanese.com/tools/flashcards), 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) means '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

- [JLPT N5 study guide](https://inkujapanese.com/jlpt/n5)

- [Essential phrases](https://inkujapanese.com/japanese/phrases)

- [Free in-browser flashcards](https://inkujapanese.com/tools/flashcards)

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](https://inkujapanese.com/).