Vocabulary (Review)

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Lesson Transcript

雷雨 (raiu)
曇り (kumori)
霧 (kiri)
What do these words mean? Stick around.
In this quick lesson, you’ll learn Japanese weather vocabulary.
Before we start, did you know that some people in Japan can be called "sunshine woman" or "sunshine man"?
Do you know why they are given these names?
Keep watching for the answer at the end.
晴れ (hare)
"sunny"
[SLOW] 晴れ (hare)
晴れ (hare)
In Japan, important events like weddings or Coming-of-Age Day are called ‘hare no hi’ — a celebratory day. It doesn’t always mean the weather is sunny!
Susan plans a weekend picnic with Lina.
Susan: 今週末は晴れそうですね。私はピクニックには晴れの日がいいです。 (Konshūmatsu wa hare sō desu ne. Watashi wa pikunikku ni wa hare no hi ga ii desu.)
Lina: 私もです!友達を何人か誘いましょう。 (Watashi mo desu! Tomodachi o nan-nin ka sasoimashō.)
曇り (kumori)
"cloudy"
[SLOW] 曇り (kumori)
曇り (kumori)
When you want to say it will be sunny after cloudy, you can say 曇りのち晴れ, which literally means ‘cloudy, then sunny.’
Jack and Emily talk about the weather before going shopping.
Jack: 今日午前中は曇りで、午後は雨になります。 (Kyō gozenchū wa kumori de, gogo wa ame ni narimasu.)
Emily: 雨が降る前に、買い物を済ませましょう。 (Ame ga furu mae ni, kaimono o sumasemashō.)
風の強い (kaze no tsuyoi)
"windy"
[SLOW] 風の強い (kaze no tsuyoi)
風の強い (kaze no tsuyoi)
風 meaning wind, の is a particle that links 風 to 強い which means strong.
Tom and Ken prepare to go out for a day of flying kites.
Tom: 今日みたいに風の強い日は、たこ揚げに最適ですね! (Kyō mitai ni kaze no tsuyoi hi wa, takoage ni saiteki desu ne!)
Ken: はい、しっかり持っておかないといけませんね! (Hai, shikkari motte okanai to ikemasen ne!)
霧 (kiri)
"fog"
[SLOW] 霧 (kiri)
霧 (kiri)
When the rain is very fine, it’s called 霧雨 (きりさめ / kirisame), which literally means ‘fog rain.’ Be careful—it’s pronounced きりさめ, not きりあめ.
Kaname warns Yoko about the current driving conditions.
Kaname: 通勤の運転には気を付けてください。道路に霧が出ています。 (Tsūkin no unten ni wa ki o tsukete kudasai. Dōro ni kiri ga dete imasu.)
Yoko: ありがとうございます。気を付けます。 (Arigatō gozaimasu. Ki o tsukemasu.)
ひょう (hyō)
"hail"
[SLOW] ひょう (hyō)
ひょう (hyō)
In Japanese, there’s another word for hail—あられ. Both ひょう and あられ are ice, but あられ is smaller.
Yuya and Tom chat about the recent weather in their area.
Yuya: あのひょうの嵐はひどかったですね。ひょうは危険です。 (Ano hyō no arashi wa hidokatta desu ne. Hyō wa kiken desu.)
Tom: はい、たくさん被害が出ることもあります。 (Hai, takusan higai ga deru koto mo arimasu.)
雷雨 (raiu)
"thunderstorm"
[SLOW] 雷雨 (raiu)
雷雨 (raiu)
雷 means thunder, 雨 means rain—together, 雷雨 is a thunderstorm.
Tom checks the weather before a group hike with Steve.
Tom: 延期しないといけないかもしれません。雷雨が来ています。 (Enki shinai to ikenai kamo shiremasen. Raiu ga kite imasu.)
Steve: 安全のために、スケジュールを変えましょう。 (Anzen no tame ni, sukejūru o kaemashō.)
大雨 (ōame)
"heavy rain"
[SLOW] 大雨 (ōame)
大雨 (ōame)
The opposite of this is 小雨, which literally means ‘light rain’ or ‘small rain.
Oscar and Emily consider adjusting their plans due to the weather.
Oscar: 計画を変えないといけません。天気予報によると、今日は大雨が降ります。 (Keikaku o kaenai to ikemasen. Tenki yohō ni yoru to, kyō wa ōame ga furimasu.)
Emily: じゃあ、中で何かしましょう。 (Jā, naka de nanika shimashō.)
いい天気 (ii tenki)
"good weather"
[SLOW] いい天気 (ii tenki)
いい天気 (ii tenki)
いい means good, 天気 means weather—so いい天気 is nice weather.
Susan plans a weekend outing with Lina.
Susan: 週末はずっといい天気ですよ。公園に行きませんか。 (Shūmatsu wa zutto ii tenki desu yo. Kōen ni ikimasen ka.)
Lina: いいですね。ピクニックをしましょう。 (Ii desu ne. Pikunikku o shimashō.)
Let's review.
You'll see the words in English and your job is to say the words in Japanese.
Ready?
Do you remember how to say "sunny"?
晴れ (hare)
晴れ (hare)
And how to say "cloudy"?
曇り (kumori)
曇り (kumori)
Do you remember how to say "windy"?
風の強い (kaze no tsuyoi)
風の強い (kaze no tsuyoi)
How about "fog"?
霧 (kiri)
霧 (kiri)
Let's try "hail"!
ひょう (hyō)
ひょう (hyō)
What about "thunderstorm"?
雷雨 (raiu)
雷雨 (raiu)
Now, let's see if you remember how to say "heavy rain"!
大雨 (ōame)
大雨 (ōame)
And finally, do you remember how to say "good weather"?
いい天気 (ii tenki)
いい天気 (ii tenki)
Did you know that some people in Japan can be called "sunshine woman" (hare onna) or "sunshine man" (hare otoko)?
Do you know why they are given these names?
In Japan, a "sunshine woman" or "sunshine man" is someone believed to bring good weather wherever they go. It’s a playful way to say their presence makes the sun shine, celebrating both luck and good weather!
Thanks for watching! Don't forget to practice these new words and phrases, and see you next time!

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