Weather is a universal topic of conversation, perfect for breaking the ice in any social setting. In Chinese, discussing the weather can be both fun and educational, especially when you learn some of the most common weather-related words.
In this post, we’ll explore five essential Chinese terms about the weather, helping you sound like a native speaker and adding a new dimension to your language skills.
Weather 天气
天 (sky) + 气 (air) = 天气 (weather)
As you may already know, air is one of the main factors that influence weather. The traditional form is 天氣.
Weather 天氣/天气 (tiān qì)
Rainy Day 雨天
雨 (rain) + 天 (sky/day) = 雨天 (rainy day)
What do you usually do on a rainy day? Here are some 雨天 activities to help you embrace it joyfully. You can also listen to the 2006 song “Rainy Day” (雨天) by Sun Yan-Zi (孫燕姿/孙燕姿), a Mandopop sensation from Singapore, to indulge in nostalgia.
Rainy day 雨天 (yǔ tiān)
Strong Wind 大风
大 (big) + 风 (wind) = 大风 (strong wind/gale) [literally] (big wind)
The traditional form is 大風.
Strong wind; gale 大風/大风 (dà fēng)
Heavy Rain 大雨
大 (big) + 雨 (rain) = 大雨 (heavy rain) [literally] (big rain)
To say “It is raining heavily today, ” one can say “今天下大雨” (jīntiān xià dà yǔ). Literally, today down/fall big rain.
Heavy rain 大雨 (dà yǔ)
Severe storm 大风雨
大 (big) + 风 (wind) + 雨 (rain) = 大风雨 (Severe storm) [literally] (big wind rain)
The traditional form is 大風雨.
Severe storm 大風雨/大风雨 (dà fēng yǔ)
