Lesson 3: Seasons and Weather

Learn how to talk about seasons, weather, and express preferences for different seasons.

In this lesson, you will learn how to describe seasonal characteristics in different countries, talk about weather changes, express your favorite season and reasons, and understand cultural aspects of Japan's seasons.

Key topics:

・Describing seasons and weather (どんなきせつがありますか?)
・Expressing weather changes with ～くなります／～になります
・Talking about favorite seasons and reasons
・Using いちばん for superlatives
・Expressing likes/dislikes with ～のがすきです／にがてです
・Giving reasons with ～から
・Giving examples with ～や and ～とか
・Understanding Japan's seasonal culture

Vocabulary

きせつ

kisetsu

季節

season

Example

まいとし季節がかわります。

Maitoshi kisetsu ga kawarimasu.

The seasons change every year.

ことば

kotoba

言葉

word

Example

あたらしい言葉をおぼえます。

Atarashii kotoba o oboemasu.

I learn new words.

あつい

atsui

暑い

hot

Example

暑いひはつめたいのみものをのみます。

Atsui hi wa tsumetai nomimono o nomimasu.

On hot days, I drink cold drinks.

すずしい

suzushii

涼しい

cool

Example

涼しいよるにさんぽします。

Suzushii yoru ni sanpo shimasu.

I take a walk on cool nights.

さむい

samui

寒い

cold

Example

寒いひにココアをのみます。

Samui hi ni kokoa o nomimasu.

On cold days, I drink cocoa.

あたたかい

atatakai

暖かい

warm

Example

暖かいひにそとでたべます。

Atatakai hi ni soto de tabemasu.

On warm days, I eat outside.

じめじめする

jimejime suru

damp

Example

じめじめするひはせんぷうきをつかいます。

Jimejime suru hi wa senpūki o tsukaimasu.

On damp days, I use a fan.

むしあつい

mushiatsui

蒸し暑い

hot and humid

Example

蒸し暑いよるはまどをあけます。

Mushiatsui yoru wa mado o akemasu.

On hot and humid nights, I open the window.

あめ

ame

雨

rain

Example

雨のひはバスにのります。

Ame no hi wa basu ni norimasu.

On rainy days, I take the bus.

ふる

furu

降る

to fall (rain / snow, etc.)

Example

ふゆはよくゆきが降ります。

Fuyu wa yoku yuki ga furimasu.

In winter, it often snows.

ゆき

yuki

雪

snow

Example

雪のひはいえにいます。

Yuki no hi wa ie ni imasu.

On snowy days, I stay home.

さくら

sakura

桜

cherry blossom / cherry tree

Example

はるに桜をみにいきます。

Haru ni sakura o mi ni ikimasu.

In spring, I go to see cherry blossoms.

はな

hana

花

flower

Example

花にみずをやります。

Hana ni mizu o yarimasu.

I water the flowers.

さく

saku

咲く

to bloom

Example

はなが咲きます。

Hana ga sakimasu.

Flowers bloom.

もみじ

momiji

紅葉

autumn leaves

Example

紅葉をみにいきます。

Momiji o mi ni ikimasu.

I go to see autumn leaves.

きれい（な）

kirei (na)

綺麗（な）

beautiful

Example

へやをきれいにします。

Heya o kirei ni shimasu.

I make the room clean.

セミ

semi

cicada

Example

なつにセミのこえをききます。

Natsu ni semi no koe o kikimasu.

In summer, I hear cicadas.

なく

naku

鳴く

to sing / to make a sound

Example

とりがあさに鳴きます。

Tori ga asa ni nakimasu.

Birds sing in the morning.

はる

haru

春

spring

Example

春にはながさきます。

Haru ni hana ga sakimasu.

Flowers bloom in spring.

つゆ

tsuyu

梅雨

tsuyu (rainy season)

Example

梅雨がはじまります。

Tsuyu ga hajimarimasu.

The rainy season begins.

なつ

natsu

夏

summer

Example

夏にうみへいきます。

Natsu ni umi e ikimasu.

In summer, I go to the sea.

あき

aki

秋

autumn / fall

Example

秋にもみじをみます。

Aki ni momiji o mimasu.

In autumn, I see autumn leaves.

ふゆ

fuyu

冬

winter

Example

冬にスキーをします。

Fuyu ni sukī o shimasu.

In winter, I ski.

たくさん

takusan

many / much

Example

ほんをたくさんよみます。

Hon o takusan yomimasu.

I read many books.

がっこう

gakkō

学校

school

Example

学校でべんきょうします。

Gakkō de benkyō shimasu.

I study at school.

なる

naru

成る

to be (e.g. on holiday)

Example

はるになります。

Haru ni narimasu.

It becomes spring.

いちねんじゅう

ichinenjū

一年中

all year round

Example

一年中はたらきます。

Ichinenjū hatarakimasu.

I work all year round.

ながい

nagai

長い

long

Example

長いじかんべんきょうします。

Nagai jikan benkyō shimasu.

I study for a long time.

ずっと

zutto

the whole time

Example

ずっとまちます。

Zutto machimasu.

I wait the whole time.

うき

uki

雨季

rainy season

Example

雨季にたくさんあめがふります。

Uki ni takusan ame ga furimasu.

A lot of rain falls in the rainy season.

かんき

kanki

乾季

dry season

Example

乾季にりょこうにいきます。

Kanki ni ryokō ni ikimasu.

I go on a trip in the dry season.

しき

shiki

四季

four seasons

Example

四季をたのしみます。

Shiki o tanoshimimasu.

I enjoy the four seasons.

おなじ

onaji

同じ

same

Example

同じふくをきます。

Onaji fuku o kimasu.

I wear the same clothes.

～ど

～do

度

～ degree(s) (40 degrees)

Example

きおんが30度になりました。

Kion ga sanjū do ni narimashita.

The temperature became 30 degrees.

みじかい

mijikai

短い

short

Example

短いじかんでおわります。

Mijikai jikan de owarimasu.

I finish in a short time.

Conversation

どんなきせつがある？

Donna kisetsu ga aru?

What seasons are there?

Example Usage

どんなきせつがある？しきがある。

Donna kisetsu ga aru? Shiki ga aru.

What seasons are there? Four seasons.

すきなきせつは？

Suki na kisetsu wa?

Favorite season?

Example Usage

すきなきせつは？あき。

Suki na kisetsu wa? Aki.

Favorite season? Autumn.

どうして？

Dōshite?

Why?

Example Usage

どうして？もみじがきれいだから。

Dōshite? Momiji ga kirei dakara.

Why? Because the fall foliage is beautiful.

～のがすき／にがて

~no ga suki / nigate

I like / don't like ~

Example Usage

あついのがすき。さむいのにがて。

Atsui no ga suki. Samui no ga nigate.

I like hot. I don't like cold.

～から

~kara

because ~

Example Usage

なつがすき。あついのがだいすきから。

Natsu ga suki. Atsui no ga daisuki kara.

I like summer because I love hot.

～や～

~ya~

things like ~ and ~

Example Usage

うみややまであそぶのがすき。

Umi ya yama de asobu no ga suki.

I like playing at places like the sea and mountains.

Kanji

冬

ふゆ

winter

冬🎬

winter

Example

冬は寒いです。

Fuyu wa samui desu.

Winter is cold.

同じ

おなじ

same

同🎬

same

Example

これは同じです。

Kore wa onaji desu.

This is the same.

夏

なつ

summer

夏🎬

summer

Example

夏は暑いです。

Natsu wa atsui desu.

Summer is hot.

季節

きせつ

season

季🎬

season

節🎬

section, period

Example

四つの季節があります。

Yottsu no kisetsu ga arimasu.

There are four seasons.

寒い

さむい

cold

寒🎬

cold

Example

今日は寒いです。

Kyō wa samui desu.

Today is cold.

春

はる

spring

春🎬

spring

Example

春は暖かいです。

Haru wa atatakai desu.

Spring is warm.

暑い

あつい

hot (weather)

暑🎬

hot

Example

外は暑いです。

Soto wa atsui desu.

It's hot outside.

秋

あき

autumn

秋🎬

autumn

Example

秋が好きです。

Aki ga suki desu.

I like autumn.

花

はな

flower

花🎬

flower

Example

きれいな花です。

Kirei na hana desu.

It's a beautiful flower.

Grammar Rules

Rule 1: ～くなります／～になります for changes

Structure: い-adjective: [stem] + くなります | Noun / な-adjective: [word] + になります

Express a change of state: 'become ~' or 'turn ~'. For い-adjectives, drop the final い and add くなる. For nouns and な-adjectives, add になる. This is essential for talking about weather, seasons, personal changes, or trends.

How to use: Use present tense for general changes or future predictions. Past tense (～くなりました／になりました) for changes that already happened. Works with time words like だんだん (gradually) or すぐに (soon).

💡 Pro Tip: Don't confuse with ～てくる for gradual changes from past to present (e.g., 暖かくなってきた 'it's been getting warm'). Also, for adjectives that describe feelings (うれしい, さびしい), ～くなる works, but ～になる is never used directly with い-adjectives.

Examples

あたたかくなります。

Atatakaku narimasu.

→ It becomes warm. / It will get warm.

もうすぐなつやすみになります。

Mō sugu natsuyasumi ni narimasu.

→ It will soon be summer vacation.

Rule 2: いちばん for superlatives

Structure: いちばん + [Adjective] + [Noun] がいちばん...

Use いちばん before an adjective to express 'the most' or 'the best'. It's the standard way to make superlatives in Japanese. The topic (what you're comparing) is usually marked with が when it's the subject of the adjective.

How to use: Place いちばん directly before the adjective. If the adjective modifies a noun, keep them together: いちばんおいしい食べ物. For preferences, use が: なつがいちばんすきです.

💡 Pro Tip: You can add ～のなかで (among ~) to specify the group: クラスのなかでだれがいちばんせがたかいですか？ (Who is tallest in class?). Also, いちばん can be used alone as a noun: 'これがいちばん！' (This is the best!).

Examples

あきがいちばんすきです。

Aki ga ichiban suki desu.

→ I like autumn the best.

にほんでいちばんたかいやまはふじさんです。

Nihon de ichiban takai yama wa Fujisan desu.

→ The tallest mountain in Japan is Mount Fuji.

Rule 3: い-adjective + のが好きです／苦手です

Structure: [い-adjective] + の + が + すきです／にがてです

Use an い-adjective followed by の to turn the adjective into a noun phrase meaning 'the (adjective) one/thing', often referring to weather or general conditions. Then express like/dislike with すきです or にがてです (bad at / dislike).

How to use: Take the い-adjective in plain form, add の, then が, then すき or にがて. The の stands for 'the condition' (e.g., あついの = hot weather/things).

💡 Pro Tip: This works for any い-adjective: つめたいのがにがて (I dislike cold things). For な-adjectives, use なの: しずかなのがすき (I like quiet places). To say 'hate' use きらい instead of にがて (にがて is softer).

Examples

あついのがすきです。

Atsui no ga suki desu.

→ I like hot weather.

さむいのがにがてです。

Samui no ga nigate desu.

→ I don't like cold weather / I'm bad with cold.

Rule 4: ～から for giving reasons

Structure: [Sentence] + から

Add から to the end of a sentence to state a reason or cause. It can stand alone as a short answer or be attached to the sentence explaining why. This works with verbs, い-adjectives, な-adjectives+だ, and nouns+だ.

How to use: Place から at the end of the reason clause. The reason comes first, followed by the result. For polite speech, keep the です/ます before から. For casual, plain form + から.

💡 Pro Tip: When answering 'Why?', you can just say the reason + から by itself: 'なぜなつがすきですか？' 'あついのがすきですから。' Also, から can sound a bit direct or even pushy; for softer reasons use ので. But から is fine for everyday conversation.

Examples

あきがすきです。もみじのけしきがきれいですから。

Aki ga suki desu. Momiji no keshiki ga kirei desu kara.

→ I like autumn because the fall foliage is beautiful.

そとでおよげません。さむいですから。

Soto de oyogemasen. Samui desu kara.

→ I can't swim outside because it's cold.

Rule 5: S1 から、S2 for connecting reasons

Structure: [Reason Sentence] + から + [Result Sentence]

Connect two sentences where S1 is the reason or cause for S2. This is the standard 'because' structure. The reason always comes before から, and the result follows.

How to use: Form: Reason (plain or polite) + から + Result (any tense). Comma often used after から. You can reverse the order by putting result first, then reason + から at the end (as in the previous grammar point).

💡 Pro Tip: When giving a reason for an invitation or suggestion, putting から after the reason makes it softer: あたたかいですから、さんぽしませんか？ (It's warm, so shall we take a walk?). Also, don't put から in the middle of a noun phrase; it always comes at the end of a clause.

Examples

あついのがだいすきですから、なつがすきです。

Atsui no ga daisuki desu kara, natsu ga suki desu.

→ I love hot weather, so I like summer.

あめがふっていますから、うちでえいがをみましょう。

Ame ga futte imasu kara, uchi de eiga o mimashō.

→ It's raining, so let's watch a movie at home.

Rule 6: N1 や N2 for giving examples

Structure: Noun1 + や + Noun2 (+ など)

Use the particle や to list nouns when giving non-exhaustive examples. It implies 'things like A and B (among others)'. Add など at the end for 'and so on'.

How to use: Place や between each example noun. You can list two or more nouns. The last noun can be followed by など or nothing. や is often used with general categories or typical examples.

💡 Pro Tip: Compare: と lists everything (exhaustive). や gives examples. If you say 'りんごやバナナがすき' it means 'I like apples and bananas (and other fruits)'. For a single example, use とか or や alone with one noun: 'うみやで遊ぶ' (play at the sea, etc.).

Examples

うみややまであそびます。

Umi ya yama de asobimasu.

→ I play at places like the sea and mountains.

しゅみはえいがやおんがくをきくことです。

Shumi wa eiga ya ongaku o kiku koto desu.

→ My hobbies are things like watching movies and listening to music.

Rule 7: N1 とか N2 とか for giving examples (colloquial)

Structure: Noun1 + とか + Noun2 + とか

Use とか after each example noun to list representative items in casual spoken Japanese. It's more conversational than や and can be used with just one example or many.

How to use: Place とか after each noun. For two examples: N1とか N2とか. For one example: Nとか. You can also use it with verbs or clauses: 食べるとか飲むとか.

💡 Pro Tip: とか is very common in everyday speech. It sounds friendly and less formal. You can also string several とか together. To say 'or something like that', add なんか: 'コーヒーとか、なんか' (coffee or something). Unlike や, とか doesn't require a final など.

Examples

くだものがおいしいです。ぶどうとかなしとか。

Kudamono ga oishii desu. Budō toka nashi toka.

→ Fruits are delicious, like grapes and pears.

なつはうみとかプールとかいきたいです。

Natsu wa umi toka pūru toka ikitai desu.

→ In summer, I want to go to places like the beach or a pool.

Lesson 3: Seasons and Weather

Learn how to talk about seasons, weather, and express preferences for different seasons.

Key topics:

Vocabulary

Conversation

Kanji

Grammar Rules

Rule 1: ～くなります／～になります for changes

Rule 2: いちばん for superlatives

Rule 3: い-adjective + のが好きです／苦手です

Rule 4: ～から for giving reasons

Rule 5: S1 から、S2 for connecting reasons

Rule 6: N1 や N2 for giving examples

Rule 7: N1 とか N2 とか for giving examples (colloquial)

Exercises

Question 1

Question 2

Question 3

Question 4

Question 5

Question 6

Question 7

Question 8

Question 9

Question 10

Question 11

Question 12

Question 13

Question 14

Question 15

Question 16

Question 17

Question 18

Question 19

Question 20