Weather and wind
Collocations, Stage 1chunk 11 of 22Weather & nature
The remarks people trade about conditions outside: nice weather, a strong wind, heavy rain, a breeze, and stepping out for some air.
- tenki ga iithe weather is nice
- kaze ga tsuyoiit's windy
- ame ga tsuyoithe rain is heavy
- kaze ga fukuthe wind blows
- kaze ni ataruget some (fresh) air
Mix-ups kaze ga tsuyoi and ame ga tsuyoi both use tsuyoi where English says 'windy' and 'heavy', so learn them in one frame (kyou ___ tsuyoi ne). kaze (wind) sounds exactly like kaze (a cold) and only the verb tells them apart: kaze ga fuku and kaze ni ataru are the wind, kaze o hiku is catching a cold.
tenki ga ii
polite tenki ga ii desuthe weather is nice
天気がいい てんきがいい 天気がいいです
adjectiveii いいgood, finetypical 57% of tenki
trap English 'beautiful/lovely weather' pushes kirei na tenki, which sounds odd: nice weather is ii tenki, bad is tenki ga warui.
The default weather opener, usually as ii tenki da ne (nice weather, huh?); bad weather is tenki ga warui.
kyou ii tenki da ne.
Nice weather today, huh?
今日いい天気だね。
kyou wa ii otenki desu ne.
Nice weather today, isn't it?
今日はいいお天気ですね。
Polite speech usually says otenki. The past is yokatta, not iikatta: tenki yokatta ne. tenki ga kuzureru = the weather turns bad; tenki motsu kana = will the weather hold? Sunny and cloudy are single verbs: hareteru (it's clear), kumotteru (it's cloudy).
kaze ga tsuyoi
polite kaze ga tsuyoi desuit's windy
風が強い かぜがつよい 風が強いです
adjectivetsuyoi 強いstrong (wind, rain, sun, a person)typical 5% of kaze
trap There is no Japanese adjective for 'windy': say the wind is strong (kaze ga tsuyoi), or kaze ga aru for 'there's some wind'.
The normal way to say 'it's windy': kyou kaze tsuyoi ne. When it picks up, kaze tsuyoku natte kita.
kyou kaze tsuyoi ne.
It's windy today, huh?
今日風強いね。
kyou wa kaze ga tsuyoi desu ne.
It's windy today, isn't it?
今日は風が強いですね。
kaze ga dete kita = the wind's picking up. For no wind at all people say kaze ga nai.
Same adjective: ame (rain), hizashi (sunshine)Learn alongside: ame ga tsuyoiMain list: -ku naru / -ni naru (Stage 4), -te kuru (Stage 4), aru (Stage 1)
ame ga tsuyoi
polite ame ga tsuyoi desuthe rain is heavy
雨が強い あめがつよい 雨が強いです
adjectivetsuyoi 強いstrong (wind, rain, sun, a person)typical 1% of ame
trap Not omoi ame: omoi is only weight, so heavy rain is strong rain; ame ga hidoi and ooame are also fine.
Said as ame tsuyoi ne or ame tsuyoku natte kita (it's really coming down now). Tsuyoi ame is the same pairing before the noun. Just as often you hear ame sugoi ne or hidoi ame.
kyou ame tsuyoi ne.
The rain's heavy today, huh?
今日雨強いね。
kyou wa ame ga tsuyoi desu ne.
The rain's heavy today, isn't it?
今日は雨が強いですね。
When it eases off: ame yowaku natta; a downpour is doshaburi.
Same adjective: kaze (wind), yuki (snow)Learn alongside: kaze ga tsuyoiMain list: hidoi (Stage 2), -ku naru / -ni naru (Stage 4), -te kuru (Stage 4)
kaze ga fuku
polite kaze ga fukimasuthe wind blows
風が吹く かぜがふく 風が吹きます
verbfuku 吹くblow (wind; also blowing air from your mouth)typical 6% of kaze
trap kaze is both 'wind' and 'a cold', and only the verb tells you which: kaze ga fuku is the wind blowing, kaze o hiku is catching a cold. kaze ni ataru (get some air) is the wind too.
Mostly heard as kaze fuiteru with a describing word: ii kaze fuiteru (there's a nice breeze), tsumetai kaze fuiteru (a cold wind's blowing). For 'it's windy', people say kaze ga tsuyoi.
ii kaze fuiteru ne.
There's a nice breeze.
いい風吹いてるね。
ii kaze ga fuitemasu ne.
There's a nice breeze.
いい風が吹いてますね。
kaze ga yamu = the wind dies down.
Learn alongside: kaze ni ataru, kaze o hiku (Stage 2), kaze ga utsuru (Stage 2)Main list: -teru (Stage 1)
kaze ni ataru
polite kaze ni atarimasuget some (fresh) air
風に当たる かぜにあたる 風に当たります
verbataru 当たるhit, be struck by; be exposed to (wind, sun, rain)typical 3% of kaze
trap Nothing in 'get some air' leads to ataru: you let the breeze hit you, kaze ni ataru. Soto no kuuki o suu (breathe the outside air) is just as natural; kuuki o ireru is airing out a room, not you.
Mostly as chotto kaze ni atatte kuru (I'm going to get some air), said when stepping out of a stuffy, hot or boozy room. The ni always stays.
chotto kaze ni atatte kuru ne.
I'm just going to get some air.
ちょっと風に当たってくるね。
chotto kaze ni atatte kimasu ne.
I'm just going to get some air.
ちょっと風に当たってきますね。
It is also a warning: anmari kaze ni atatteru to, kaze hiku yo (stay out in the wind too long and you'll catch a cold).
Same verb: hi (sun: hi ni ataru, get some sun), ame (rain: ame ni ataru, get rained on)Learn alongside: kaze ga fuku, kaze o hiku (Stage 2), kaze ga utsuru (Stage 2)Main list: chotto (Stage 1), -te kuru (Stage 4)