冬 Fuyu: Talking About Winter in Japanese

In this post we’ll talk about winter in Japanese: 冬 fuyu. First we’ll learn how to talk about cold winter weather in Japanese. Then we’ll move on to vocabulary and expressions that you can use to say whether you love or hate the winter. Next we’ll focus on winter clothes in Japanese. Finally we’ll wrap up with some expressions to talk about cozy winter evenings at home.

Talking about Winter Weather in Japanese

Let’s start with some basic expressions that will help you talk about cold winter weather in Japanese.

• 外は寒いですね！
  Soto wa samui desu ne!
  It’s Cold Outside!
• 寒いです。
  Samui desu.
  It’s cold.
• 凍えるほど寒いです。
  Kogoeru hodo samui desu.
  It’s freezing!
• 雪が降っています。
  Yuki ga futteimasu.
  It’s snowing.
• みぞれが降っています。
  Mizore ga futteimasu.
  It’s sleeting.

• 寒くて風が強いです。
  Samukute kaze ga tsuyoi desu.
  It’s cold and windy.
• 雪はきれいです。
  Yuki wa kirei desu.
  The snow is beautiful.
• 今週は猛吹雪になります。
  Konshuu wa moufubuki ni narimasu.
  We’re going to have a blizzard this week.
• 湖が凍っています。
  Mizuumi ga kootte imasu.
  The lake is frozen.
• 雪が溶けてきました。
  Yuki ga tokete kimashita.
  The snow is melting.
• 寒さで震えています！
  Samusa de furuete imasu!
  I’m shivering!

冬が好きです。Fuyu ga suki desu. I Love the Winter

Not everyone hates the snow. If you’re a kid, or a kid at heart, you may enjoy some fun winter activities.

• 雪が好きです。
  Yuki ga suki desu.
  I love the snow.
• 雪だるまを作りましょう。
  Yukidaruma o tsukurimashou.
  Let’s build a snowman.
• 今週末、スキーに行きます。
  Konshuumatsu, sukii ni ikimasu.
   I’m going skiing this weekend.
• そりをしに行きましょう。
  Sori o shi ni ikimashou.
  Let’s go sledding.
• アイススケートをしに行きましょう。
  Aisusukeeto o shi ni ikimashou.
  Let’s go ice skating.
• スノーボードをするのが好きです。
  Sunooboodo o suruno ga suki desu .
  I like snowboarding.
• 雪合戦をしましょう！
  Yukigassen o shimashou!
  Let’s have a snowball fight!
• 子供たちは雪の砦を作っています。
  Kodomotachi wa yuki no toride o tsukutte imasu.
  The kids are building a snow fort.

冬が嫌いです。Fuyu ga kirai desu. I Hate the Winter

Of course, winter isn’t all fun and games.

• 雪が嫌いです。
  Yuki ga kirai desu.
  I hate the snow.
• 家の前の雪かきをしなければいけません。
  Ie no mae no yukikaki o shinakereba ikemasen.
  I have to shovel in front of the house.
• 道路が凍っていて危ないです。
  Dooro ga kootteite abunai desu.
  The roads are icy and dangerous.
• 道で滑りました。
  Michi de suberimashita.
  I slipped on the sidewalk.
• 寒い季節は好きじゃありません！
  Samui kisetsu wa suki ja arimasen!
  I don’t like cold weather!
• 太陽が恋しいです。
  Taiyou ga koishii desu.
  I miss the sun.
• 冬の天気は気分が落ち込みます。
  Fuyu no tenki wa kibun ga ochikomimasu.
  Winter weather is depressing.

Winter Clothes in Japanese

 Now let’s talk about 冬の服 fuyu no fuku: Winter Clothes in Japanese. If you have to go outside, you need to dress appropriately. You’ll probably wear: コート kooto (a winter coat), 帽子 boushi (a hat), マフラー mafuraa (a scarf), 手袋 tebukuro (gloves or mittens), and ブーツ buutsu (boots).

• 今日は帽子と手袋が必要です。
  Kyou wa boushi to tebukuro ga hitsuyou desu.
  I need a hat and gloves today.
• このコートは十分暖かくないです。
  Kono kooto wa juubun atatakaku nai desu.
  This coat isn’t heavy enough!
• 防水のブーツがありますか。
  Bousui no buutsu ga arimasu ka.
  Do you have waterproof boots?
• セーターとコートを着ています。
  Seetaa to kooto o kite imasu.
  I’m wearing a sweater and a coat.

心地よい静かな夜 kokochiyoi shizukana yoru Cozy, Quiet Evenings

But inside, you can still feel あたたかい atatakai (warm) and 心地よい kokochiyoi (cozy). You can sit next to a 火 hi (fire) in the 暖炉 danro (fireplace), and maybe enjoy a cup of お茶 ocha  (tea) or better yet, a cup of ココア kokoa  (hot chocolate). Just get a nice 毛布 moufu (blanket), maybe いい本 ii hon (a good book), and you’re ready to make the most out of the 寒い日 samui hi (cold days) and 長い夜 nagai yoru (long nights). It’s only a few more months until the spring!

• 家の中は暖かくて心地よいです。
  Ie no naka wa atatakakute kokochiyoi desu.
  It’s warm and cozy in the house.
• 暖炉に火をつけましょう。
  Danro ni hi o tsukemashou.
  Let’s make a fire in the fireplace.
• 暖炉の前でココアを飲みましょう。
  Danro no mae de kokoa o nomimashou.
  Let’s have hot chocolate in front of the fire.
• 暖炉の横で温まっています。
  Danro no yoko de atatamatte imasu.
  I’m warming up next to the fire.
• 毛布がありますか。
  Moufu ga arimasu ka.
  Do you have a blanket?
• 冬は早く寝ます。
  Fuyu wa hayaku nemasu.
  I go to bed early in the winter.

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We hope you’ve enjoyed learning how to talk about winter in Japanese. Now you know a lot of Japanese vocabulary for winter, and you can talk about winter weather in Japanese and winter clothes in Japanese. If you want to learn more, check out our other posts on Japanese language, culture, and more. And if you’re looking for convenient and affordable live Japanese lessons with a real teacher, check out the Language Garage. Our lessons are given online in a virtual classroom, so it doesn’t matter where you live or work – we can come to you. And we have flexible options, with a free trial so that you can decide if there’s a fit. Check us out!

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