For expat students living or traveling in China, being able to talk about weather, climate, and seasons is essential. Weather affects daily plans, travel, and even social conversations, so learning the right Chinese characters and phrases will help you communicate clearly and naturally.
This blog post provides comprehensive vocabulary, practical phrases, example sentences, and tips for talking about the weather in Mandarin.
Basic Weather Vocabulary in Chinese
Understanding common weather terms is the first step to mastering weather conversations:
- Weather (天气, tiānqì)
- Sunny / Clear (晴天, qíngtiān)
- Cloudy (多云, duōyún)
- Rain / Rainy (下雨, xià yǔ / 雨天, yǔtiān)
- Snow / Snowy (下雪, xià xuě / 雪天, xuětiān)
- Windy (刮风, guā fēng / 风大, fēng dà)
- Fog (雾, wù)
- Thunderstorm (雷阵雨, léizhènyǔ)
- Temperature (温度, wēndù)
- Hot (热, rè)
- Cold (冷, lěng)
- Humid (潮湿, cháoshī)
- Dry (干燥, gānzào)
Example sentences:
- 今天的天气很好，很晴。Jīntiān de tiānqì hěn hǎo, hěn qíng. – Today’s weather is nice and sunny.
- 明天会下雨吗？Míngtiān huì xià yǔ ma? – Will it rain tomorrow?
- 最近几天很冷，你要多穿衣服。Zuìjìn jǐ tiān hěn lěng, nǐ yào duō chuān yīfu. – It’s been cold these days; you should wear more clothes.
Talking About Seasons in Chinese
China has four distinct seasons, and it’s important to know the vocabulary for each:
- Spring (春天, chūntiān)
- Summer (夏天, xiàtiān)
- Autumn / Fall (秋天, qiūtiān)
- Winter (冬天, dōngtiān)
- Rainy season (雨季, yǔjì)
- Dry season (旱季, hànjì)
- Hot season (热季, rèjì)
- Cold season (寒季, hánjì)
Example sentences:
- 春天很适合去公园赏花。Chūntiān hěn shìhé qù gōngyuán shǎng huā. – Spring is perfect for visiting parks and enjoying flowers.
- 夏天很热，很多人喜欢去海边。Xiàtiān hěn rè, hěn duō rén xǐhuān qù hǎibiān. – Summer is hot, and many people like to go to the beach.
- 秋天的天气很凉爽，非常舒服。Qiūtiān de tiānqì hěn liángshuǎng, fēicháng shūfu. – Autumn is cool and very comfortable.
- 冬天常下雪，我们可以去滑雪。Dōngtiān cháng xià xuě, wǒmen kěyǐ qù huáxuě. – It often snows in winter, and we can go skiing.
Describing Temperature and Climate
Talking about the climate is important for long-term planning, travel, and conversations:
- Temperature (温度, wēndù)
- High / Low (高 / 低, gāo / dī)
- Hot and humid (又热又湿, yòu rè yòu shī)
- Cool / Comfortable (凉爽, liángshuǎng)
- Freezing (冰冷, bīnglěng)
- Mild (温和, wēnhé)
- Climate (气候, qìhòu)
- Tropical (热带, rèdài)
- Subtropical (亚热带, yà rèdài)
- Temperate (温带, wēndài)
- Arctic / Polar (极地, jídì)
Example sentences:
- 今天气温很高，有三十五度。Jīntiān qìwēn hěn gāo, yǒu sānshíwǔ dù. – Today the temperature is high, 35°C.
- 北京夏天又热又湿。Běijīng xiàtiān yòu rè yòu shī. – Beijing is hot and humid in summer.
- 海南属于热带气候，冬天也很温暖。Hǎinán shǔyú rèdài qìhòu, dōngtiān yě hěn wēnnuǎn. – Hainan has a tropical climate; even in winter, it’s warm.
- 西藏高原气候寒冷，需要穿厚衣服。Xīzàng gāoyuán qìhòu hánlěng, xūyào chuān hòu yīfu. – Tibet’s plateau climate is cold, and you need to wear thick clothes.
Talking About Weather Changes
Being able to describe and discuss weather changes helps in planning daily activities and travel:
- Today (今天, jīntiān)
- Tomorrow (明天, míngtiān)
- Yesterday (昨天, zuótiān)
- This week (这周, zhè zhōu)
- Forecast (天气预报, tiānqì yùbào)
- Change (变化, biànhuà)
- Sunny intervals (间歇性晴天, jiànxiēxìng qíngtiān)
- Rain expected (预报有雨, yùbào yǒu yǔ)
Example sentences:
- 今天下午可能有雷阵雨。Jīntiān xiàwǔ kěnéng yǒu léizhènyǔ. – There might be a thunderstorm this afternoon.
- 明天会比今天冷几度。Míngtiān huì bǐ jīntiān lěng jǐ dù. – Tomorrow will be a few degrees colder than today.
- 天气预报说这周会多云。Tiānqì yùbào shuō zhè zhōu huì duōyún. – The weather forecast says it will be cloudy this week.
Practical Tips for Expat Students
- Check the weather forecast daily (每天查看天气预报, měitiān chákàn tiānqì yùbào)
- Dress according to the season and temperature (根据季节和温度穿衣服, gēnjù jìjié hé wēndù chuān yīfu)
- Carry an umbrella or raincoat during the rainy season (雨季带雨伞或雨衣, yǔjì dài yǔsǎn huò yǔyī)
- Learn climate terms for long-term planning (学习气候用语, xuéxí qìhòu yòngyǔ)
- Use descriptive phrases like 又热又湿 (yòu rè yòu shī) or 凉爽 (liángshuǎng) in conversations to sound natural
New Words
- 天气 (tiānqì) – Weather
- 晴天 (qíngtiān) – Sunny
- 多云 (duōyún) – Cloudy
- 下雨 (xià yǔ) – Rain / Rainy
- 下雪 (xià xuě) – Snow / Snowy
- 温度 (wēndù) – Temperature
- 气候 (qìhòu) – Climate
- 雨季 (yǔjì) – Rainy season
- 凉爽 (liángshuǎng) – Cool / Comfortable
- 天气预报 (tiānqì yùbào) – Weather forecast