小雨 en 30 secondes
- 小雨 (kosame) means light rain or drizzle in Japanese.
- It is a combination of 'small' (小) and 'rain' (雨).
- Commonly used in weather forecasts and literature to set a mood.
- Differs from 'kirisame' (mist) and 'koburi' (rain slowing down).
The word 小雨 (こさめ - kosame) is a quintessential Japanese term that captures the delicate nature of Japan's climate. Composed of the kanji for 'small' (小) and 'rain' (雨), it literally translates to 'small rain.' However, its meaning extends beyond mere size; it describes a gentle, sparse rainfall that often carries a sense of tranquility or melancholy. In a meteorological sense, it refers to rain that is light enough that one might not immediately reach for an umbrella, though prolonged exposure would eventually lead to getting wet. This word is a staple in daily conversation, literature, and weather reporting, serving as a foundational building block for anyone learning Japanese weather vocabulary.
- Grammatical Category
- Noun (Meishi), often used with the particle 'ga' (が) or as part of compound phrases.
- Visual Image
- Fine droplets falling softly against a grey sky, barely making a sound on the pavement.
- Meteorological Threshold
- Generally defined as rainfall less than 1mm per hour, though colloquially it is more about the visual density.
"小雨が降り始めたので、急いで家路についた。" (As a light rain began to fall, I hurried home.)
Understanding kosame requires recognizing its place in the vast spectrum of Japanese words for rain. Japan has over 50 specific names for different types of rain, reflecting the country's historical dependence on agriculture and its deep seasonal awareness. Kosame is perhaps the most common 'light' rain term, used when the rain is consistent but weak. It differs from 霧雨 (kirisame), which is even finer, like a mist or drizzle, where the droplets are almost invisible to the naked eye.
窓の外は小雨に煙っている。
- Kanji Breakdown
- 小 (Small/Little) + 雨 (Rain). Simple and direct.
Using 小雨 correctly involves understanding its typical verb pairings and sentence structures. The most common verb used with kosame is 降る (furu), meaning 'to fall.' When you want to say 'it is raining lightly,' you say 小雨が降っている (kosame ga futte iru). Unlike 'heavy rain' (大雨), which implies a forceful action, kosame suggests a persistent but non-intrusive presence.
今日は一日中、小雨がぱらついていた。
Another frequent pairing is with the verb 煙る (kemuru), meaning 'to be smoky' or 'to look misty.' This describes the visual effect of light rain obscuring the distance. You might also see it used with そぼ降る (sobofuru), a more literary verb describing a quiet, steady drizzle. In casual conversation, people often use the onomatopoeia shito-shito (しとしと) to describe the sound and feel of kosame.
- Common Verbs
- 降る (to fall), 止む (to stop), 続く (to continue), ぱらつく (to sprinkle).
- Common Adjectives
- 静かな (quiet), 冷たい (cold), 絶え間ない (incessant).
小雨決行 (kosame kekkou): The event will proceed even in light rain.
You will encounter 小雨 in three primary contexts: weather forecasts, literature/lyrics, and daily social interactions. In a professional weather forecast (tenki yohou), the announcer will use kosame to provide a precise description of the day's conditions, often distinguishing it from niwaka-ame (sudden showers). It is a neutral, factual term in this setting.
「午後は小雨が降る見込みです。」
In Japanese literature and J-Pop lyrics, kosame is a powerful evocative tool. It sets a mood of quiet contemplation or loneliness. Authors use it to soften the landscape of a scene. For example, a character walking through kosame is often portrayed as being in deep thought or experiencing a subtle emotional shift. It is rarely used for high-drama scenes (which prefer gouu or torrential rain) but rather for intimate, internal moments.
- Social Context
- Used when deciding whether to cancel a picnic or if a sports match will continue.
- Public Announcements
- Often heard at train stations or parks regarding event changes.
The most frequent mistake for learners is confusing 小雨 (kosame) with 霧雨 (kirisame) or 小降り (koburi). While all three relate to light rain, they have distinct nuances. Kirisame is mist-like, where you feel the moisture but don't necessarily see individual drops. Kosame has visible, albeit small, drops. Koburi, on the other hand, describes the *intensity* of the rain decreasing (e.g., 'the rain has become light').
❌ 雨が小雨になった。(Incorrect usage for 'intensity decrease')
✅ 雨が小降りになった。(Correct: The rain became light.)
Another mistake is the pronunciation. Some learners might try to read it as 'shou-u' (using the On-yomi for both kanji). While shou-u is a valid word in technical meteorological contexts, it is almost never used in daily life. Always stick to the Kun-yomi based reading kosame for general usage. Additionally, don't confuse it with niwaka-ame (sudden shower), which can be heavy or light but is defined by its suddenness and short duration.
- Mistake: Over-reliance
- Learners often use 'ame' for everything. Using 'kosame' makes your Japanese sound more natural and descriptive.
To truly master 小雨, you must see where it sits among its 'rainy' siblings. Japanese is famous for its granular descriptions of weather. Below is a comparison of words often grouped with kosame.
- 霧雨 (Kirisame)
- Drizzle/Misty rain. Droplets are less than 0.5mm. It feels like a wet fog.
- 小降り (Koburi)
- A light fall. Used when rain that was heavy has slowed down.
- 俄雨 (Niwaka-ame)
- Sudden shower. Can be light, but usually starts and stops abruptly.
- 糠雨 (Nuka-ame)
- Very fine rain, like rice bran (nuka). Similar to kirisame but more poetic.
Intensity Scale: 霧雨 (Mist) < 小雨 (Light) < 並の雨 (Normal) < 大雨 (Heavy) < 豪雨 (Torrential)
Choosing the right word depends on the 'texture' of the rain you want to convey. If you want to emphasize the beauty of the rain, you might choose kosame. If you want to complain about the dampness without seeing drops, kirisame is better. If you are relieved the storm is passing, use koburi.
How Formal Is It?
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Niveau de difficulté
Grammaire à connaître
Exemples par niveau
小雨です。
It is light rain.
Simple noun + desu structure.
小雨がふっています。
Light rain is falling.
Present progressive form of 'furu'.
外は小雨ですか？
Is it light rain outside?
Question marker 'ka'.
小雨、きらいじゃないです。
I don't dislike light rain.
Double negative for 'like'.
あ、小雨だ。
Oh, it's light rain.
Informal 'da' ending.
小雨のなか、あるきます。
I walk in the light rain.
Particle 'no naka' meaning 'inside/in'.
小雨はしずかです。
Light rain is quiet.
Adjective 'shizuka' describing the noun.
傘、小雨だからいらない。
I don't need an umbrella because it's light rain.
Casual 'dakara' for reason.
今日は小雨が降ったりやんだりしています。
Today it's been raining lightly on and off.
Using ~tari ~tari for alternating actions.
小雨が降ってきたので、窓を閉めました。
Since it started raining lightly, I closed the window.
The auxiliary verb ~te kuru indicates the start of an action.
小雨の中を散歩するのは気持ちがいいです。
Walking in the light rain feels good.
Gerund-like usage of 'sampo suru no'.
明日の予報は小雨です。
Tomorrow's forecast is light rain.
Noun modification with 'no'.
小雨が降っていますが、傘は持っていません。
It's raining lightly, but I don't have an umbrella.
Conjunction 'ga' (but).
このくらいの小雨なら、テニスができます。
If it's just this much light rain, we can play tennis.
Conditional 'nara'.
小雨が降ると、少し寒くなりますね。
When it rains lightly, it gets a bit cold, doesn't it?
Conditional 'to' for natural consequences.
小雨が止むまで、ここで待ちましょう。
Let's wait here until the light rain stops.
Volitional 'mashou' + 'made' (until).
小雨に濡れた紫陽花がとても綺麗です。
The hydrangeas wet with light rain are very beautiful.
Passive participle 'nureta' modifying the noun.
小雨決行と書いてあったので、試合は行われます。
Since it said 'proceed in light rain,' the match will be held.
Compound noun 'kosame-kekkou'.
ずっと小雨が降り続いていて、洗濯物が乾きません。
The light rain has been falling continuously, so the laundry won't dry.
Compound verb 'furi-tsuzuku'.
小雨の中、彼は一人でベンチに座っていた。
In the light rain, he was sitting on the bench alone.
Setting a scene in narrative past tense.
天気予報では曇りでしたが、実際には小雨が降っています。
The forecast said cloudy, but in reality, it's raining lightly.
Contrast between 'yohou' and 'jissai'.
小雨程度の雨なら、自転車で行っても大丈夫でしょう。
If it's just rain to the extent of a light drizzle, going by bike should be fine.
Using 'teido' to indicate degree.
窓ガラスに小雨が当たって、静かな音がする。
The light rain hits the window glass, making a quiet sound.
Verb 'ataru' (to hit/strike).
小雨が降る午後の街は、どこか寂しげだ。
The town in the afternoon with light rain falling feels somewhat lonely.
Suffix '~ge' meaning 'looking like/seeming'.
小雨がそぼ降る中、古い寺院を参拝した。
I visited an old temple while a light rain was drizzling quietly.
Literary verb 'sobofuru'.
激しい雨になるかと思いきや、結局小雨のままだった。
I thought it would become heavy rain, but in the end, it remained a light rain.
Grammar 'ka to omoikiya' (contrary to expectations).
小雨に煙る景色は、まるで一幅の絵画のようだ。
The scenery misty with light rain is just like a single painting.
Simile 'no you da'.
小雨がぱらつき始めたので、念のため傘を差した。
Since light rain started to sprinkle, I put up my umbrella just in case.
Onomatopoeic verb 'paratsuku'.
小雨混じりの風が、頬を冷たく撫でていった。
A wind mixed with light rain brushed coldly against my cheek.
Compound 'majiri' (mixed with).
小雨が降るたびに、あの日のことを思い出す。
Every time it rains lightly, I remember that day.
Grammar 'tabi ni' (every time).
小雨の中での作業は、予想以上に体力を消耗させた。
Working in the light rain drained my strength more than expected.
Causative 'shoumou saseta'.
小雨が降りしきる中、駅までの道を急いだ。
I hurried to the station amidst the incessant light rain.
Verb 'furishikiru' (to rain incessantly).
小雨に濡れる石畳が、街灯の光を反射して幻想的だ。
The cobblestones wet from the light rain reflect the lamplight, looking fantastical.
Complex descriptive sentence.
小雨が万物を潤し、新緑の季節の訪れを告げている。
The light rain moistens all things, heralding the arrival of the season of fresh greenery.
Formal/Literary vocabulary 'banbutsu', 'uruosu'.
彼の心象風景は、常にこの小雨のような静謐さに包まれている。
His mental landscape is always enveloped in a serenity like this light rain.
Metaphorical usage.
小雨が降る中での決断が、後の運命を大きく変えることとなった。
The decision made in the light rain ended up greatly changing his future fate.
Narrative structure 'koto to natta'.
しとしとと降る小雨は、日本人の情緒に深く根ざしている。
The gently falling light rain is deeply rooted in the Japanese psyche/emotions.
Onomatopoeia 'shito-shito'.
小雨に煙る山並みを見つめながら、故郷に思いを馳せた。
Gazing at the mountain range misty with light rain, I let my thoughts wander to my hometown.
Idiom 'omoi o haseru'.
小雨という言葉一つにも、日本語特有の繊細な響きがある。
Even in the single word 'kosame,' there is a delicate resonance unique to the Japanese language.
Focusing on the word as a concept.
小雨が止み、雲の切れ間から一筋の光が差し込んできた。
The light rain stopped, and a single ray of light broke through the gap in the clouds.
Contrast of light and shadow.
小雨に煙る京の街角で、一期一会の出会いを果たした。
On a Kyoto street corner misty with light rain, I had a once-in-a-lifetime encounter.
Use of the idiom 'Ichigo-ichie'.
その詩は、小雨の降る情景を借りて、叶わぬ恋の切なさを謳い上げている。
The poem uses the scene of light rain to sing of the heartache of unrequited love.
High-level literary analysis.
小雨がもたらす静寂は、都会の喧騒を一時的に忘れさせてくれる。
The silence brought by the light rain allows one to temporarily forget the hustle and bustle of the city.
Causative form 'wasuresasete kureru'.
小雨の降る庭園を眺めていると、時間の流れが緩やかになるのを感じる。
Watching the garden in the light rain, I feel the flow of time becoming slower.
Perceptual verb 'kanjiru' with nominalized clause.
小雨という自然現象が、これほどまでに文学的インスピレーションを与えるのは驚きだ。
It is surprising that a natural phenomenon like light rain can provide such literary inspiration.
Complex subject 'to iu shizen genshou'.
小雨に濡れた土の匂いが、遠い記憶の扉を叩いた。
The smell of earth wet with light rain knocked on the door of distant memories.
Personification of 'nioi' (smell).
小雨が降るたびに更新される風景の彩りに、自然の妙を感じざるを得ない。
One cannot help but feel the mystery of nature in the colors of the landscape, updated every time it rains lightly.
Double negative 'zaru o enai' (cannot help but).
小雨の降る深更、彼は静かに筆を置いた。
In the dead of night with light rain falling, he quietly set down his brush.
Archaic/Formal 'shinkou' (dead of night).
Collocations courantes
Phrases Courantes
小雨が降っています
小雨決行です
小雨になりました
小雨の中を歩く
小雨が降り出した
小雨がパラパラする
小雨がそぼ降る
小雨模様
小雨に打たれる
小雨を突く
Souvent confondu avec
Kirisame is finer, like a mist.
Koburi refers to the *state* of rain becoming light.
Niwaka-ame is about the suddenness, not just the amount.
Expressions idiomatiques
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Facile à confondre
Structures de phrases
Famille de mots
Apparenté
Comment l'utiliser
Droplets are small but distinct.
Less than 1mm per hour.
- Using 'ame ga kosame ni natta' instead of 'ame ga koburi ni natta'.
- Pronouncing it as 'shou-u' in casual conversation.
- Confusing it with 'kirisame' (mist).
- Forgetting the 'ga' particle in 'kosame ga furu'.
- Using it to describe a heavy storm.
Astuces
Learn the Pair
Always learn 'kosame' alongside 'ooame' (heavy rain) to understand the scale.
Visual Kanji
The kanji for rain (雨) looks like raindrops falling from a cloud. Small (小) is just three dots.
Weather Apps
Check a Japanese weather app; you will see the kanji 小雨 very often.
Softness
When saying 'kosame', use a gentle tone to match the meaning of the word.
News Keywords
In news, 'kosame' is a keyword for 'no major weather warnings'.
Diary Entry
Try writing 'Today was kosame' in your Japanese diary to practice.
Context Clues
If you see 小 before a weather kanji, it usually means 'light' or 'small'.
Particle Choice
Use 'ga' when the rain is the subject doing the falling.
Small Talk
Mentioning 'kosame' is a perfect, safe way to start a conversation with a Japanese person.
Small Rain
Just remember: Small + Rain = Drizzle.
Mémorise-le
Origine du mot
Old Japanese compound of 'ko' (small) and 'ame' (rain). The 'a' in 'ame' shifts to 'sa' in some compounds, but here it remains a direct combination with a euphonic change.
Contexte culturel
Japanese people are very sensitive to rain; even 'kosame' will see many people using umbrellas immediately.
Frequently used in Haiku to set a quiet, reflective tone.
Often associated with spring (Harusame) or the early rainy season.
Pratique dans la vie réelle
Contextes réels
Amorces de conversation
"今日は小雨ですね。傘持っていますか？"
"小雨の中の散歩って、意外と好きなんです。"
"この小雨、いつ止むと思いますか？"
"小雨が降ると、アジサイが綺麗に見えますね。"
"小雨決行のイベント、行くつもりですか？"
Sujets d'écriture
今日は小雨が降っていました。どんな気分でしたか？
小雨の日に聴きたい音楽は何ですか？
小雨の中、どこかへ出かけた思い出はありますか？
あなたの国では、小雨のことを何と呼びますか？
小雨の日の窓の外の景色を描写してください。
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsAme is the general word for rain. Kosame specifically means 'light' or 'small' rain.
Yes, it is used daily in Japan, especially in weather reports and casual talk.
Usually yes, if you are outside for a long time, but many people might skip it for a short walk.
It is written as 小雨.
The most common verb is 'furu' (to fall).
No, for light snow, you would use 'koyuki' (小雪).
It means an event will happen even if there is light rain.
Yes, it is often used in poetry and songs to create a soft, sad, or peaceful mood.
You say 'Kosame ga furidashita' or 'Kosame ga futtekita'.
Yes, 'drizzle' is the closest English translation.
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Summary
小雨 is a foundational weather term that describes gentle, sparse rainfall. Mastering it allows you to move beyond the generic 'ame' and express specific weather conditions and moods with natural Japanese nuance.
- 小雨 (kosame) means light rain or drizzle in Japanese.
- It is a combination of 'small' (小) and 'rain' (雨).
- Commonly used in weather forecasts and literature to set a mood.
- Differs from 'kirisame' (mist) and 'koburi' (rain slowing down).
Learn the Pair
Always learn 'kosame' alongside 'ooame' (heavy rain) to understand the scale.
Visual Kanji
The kanji for rain (雨) looks like raindrops falling from a cloud. Small (小) is just three dots.
Weather Apps
Check a Japanese weather app; you will see the kanji 小雨 very often.
Softness
When saying 'kosame', use a gentle tone to match the meaning of the word.
Exemple
小雨が一日中降っていた。
Contenu associé
Plus de mots sur weather
積もる
A2To pile up (e.g., snow).
のち
A2Plus tard ; après (utilisé dans les prévisions météorologiques).
近づく
A2S'approcher, se rapprocher. Utilisé pour la distance physique, le temps ou les relations.
避ける
B1Éviter quelqu'un ou quelque chose d'indésirable.
氷点下
A2Below freezing point; temperature below 0 degrees Celsius.
長靴
A2Rain boots; waterproof boots worn to protect feet from rain.
穏やかな
B1Calme, paisible. Utilisé pour le temps, la mer ou la personnalité d'une personne.
快晴
A2Clear skies; perfectly clear and sunny weather.
快適な
A2Confortable; agréable. Utilisé pour décrire un environnement ou une expérience sans stress.
涼む
B1To cool oneself; to enjoy the cool air.
