A2 Expression Formel

날씨가 추워요.

1037

The weather is cold.

Phrase in 30 Seconds

The essential way to tell someone it's cold outside or in a room.

  • Means: The weather is cold (specifically the ambient temperature).
  • Used in: Daily greetings, small talk, and describing winter conditions.
  • Don't confuse: Never use this for cold objects; use '차갑다' for drinks or ice.
☁️ + 🧊 + 🥶 = 날씨가 추워요

Explanation at your level:

This is a very basic way to talk about the weather. You use '날씨' (weather) and '추워요' (is cold). It is one of the first things you learn to say to describe the world around you. You can use it to talk to your teacher or friends when you feel the winter wind.
At this level, you should understand the ㅂ-irregular conjugation (춥다 to 추워요). You can use this phrase to give reasons for your actions, like '날씨가 추워서 집에 있어요' (I am at home because the weather is cold). You also start to distinguish between '춥다' (weather) and '차갑다' (objects).
Intermediate learners use this phrase to engage in longer conversations about seasons and climate change. You might use variations like '추워지다' (to become cold) or '추운 편이다' (to be on the cold side). You understand the social nuance of using weather as a polite conversation starter in professional settings.
Upper-intermediate learners can use more descriptive adverbs like '부쩍' (suddenly/remarkably) or '유난히' (unusually) with this phrase. You can discuss the impact of the cold on the economy or health, and you are comfortable using the phrase in various speech levels, from very formal reports to intimate slang.
At the advanced level, you analyze the phrase within literary and metaphorical contexts. You might encounter it in poetry where 'cold weather' symbolizes political hardship or personal loneliness. You understand the historical etymology of the components and can discuss regional dialects (Satoori) variations of the word '춥다'.
Near-native mastery involves using the phrase with perfect prosody and understanding its role in complex sociolinguistic interactions. You can use it ironically, sarcastically, or as a subtle linguistic pointer to shared cultural knowledge like the 'Suneung' (exam) cold phenomenon, where it's believed the weather always turns cold on the day of the national university entrance exam.

Signification

Stating that the temperature is low and it feels cold.

🌍

Contexte culturel

The 'Suneung Cold' (수능 한파) is a famous urban legend. It is widely believed that the temperature always drops significantly on the day of the National College Entrance Exam in November. Koreans often use the phrase '날씨가 추우니까 감기 조심하세요' as a standard winter closing for emails and texts, showing social warmth despite the cold. The concept of 'I-yeol-chi-yeol' (fighting heat with heat) has a winter counterpart: 'I-naeng-chi-naeng' (fighting cold with cold), which involves eating cold noodles (Naengmyeon) in a heated room during winter. The 'Long Padding' (long puffer coat) culture. When the weather hits a certain 'coldness,' almost everyone in Seoul wears the same long black padded coats, creating a 'black penguin' look in the subway.

💡

The 'ㅂ' Rule

Remember that 춥다, 덥다 (hot), and 어렵다 (difficult) all follow the same pattern: ㅂ becomes 우.

⚠️

Don't touch!

If you touch a cold window, say '차거워!' not '추워!'

Signification

Stating that the temperature is low and it feels cold.

💡

The 'ㅂ' Rule

Remember that 춥다, 덥다 (hot), and 어렵다 (difficult) all follow the same pattern: ㅂ becomes 우.

⚠️

Don't touch!

If you touch a cold window, say '차거워!' not '추워!'

🎯

Sound like a native

Add '진짜' (really) or '너무' (too) before '추워요' to sound more natural when complaining about the cold.

💬

Care for others

Always follow up 'It's cold' with 'Wear warm clothes' to show you are a kind person in Korean culture.

Teste-toi

Choose the correct word to describe a cold winter day.

오늘 _____ 추워요.

✓ Correct ! ✗ Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte : 날씨가

Only '날씨가' (weather) fits the context of '춥다' (cold weather).

Conjugate the verb '춥다' to the polite present tense.

밖이 너무 (춥다) ________.

✓ Correct ! ✗ Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte : 추워요

The ㅂ-irregular verb '춥다' changes to '추워요' in the polite present tense.

Match the situation to the correct Korean phrase.

You are holding a glass of ice water.

✓ Correct ! ✗ Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte : 물이 차가워요.

For objects like water, you must use '차갑다', not '춥다'.

Complete the dialogue.

A: 오늘 날씨가 어때요? B: 눈이 오고 정말 ________.

✓ Correct ! ✗ Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte : 추워요

If it's snowing (눈이 오고), it's likely cold (추워요).

🎉 Score : /4

Aides visuelles

춥다 vs 차갑다

춥다 (Weather)
겨울 (Winter) Winter
바람 (Wind) Wind
차갑다 (Objects)
얼음 (Ice) Ice
맥주 (Beer) Beer

Questions fréquentes

10 questions

Yes, it means 'I feel cold.' However, '날씨가 추워요' is more common when talking about the environment.

춥다 is 'cold' (winter), while 쌀쌀하다 is 'chilly' (autumn/spring).

You can say '꽁꽁 얼 것 같아요' (I feel like I'm freezing solid).

Yes, but '춥습니다' is safer in very formal meetings or presentations.

Because it's a ㅂ-irregular verb. The ㅂ changes to '우' when meeting a vowel.

No, use '성격이 차가워요' (Personality is cold).

It's very casual slang for 'f***ing cold.' Only use it with very close friends!

Say '밖은 추워요?' (Bak-eun chu-wo-yo?)

In textbooks, yes (날씨가). In real life, people often just say '날씨 추워요'.

덥다 (Deop-da), which means 'to be hot' (weather).

Expressions liées

🔗

쌀쌀해요

similar

It's chilly

🔗

따뜻해요

contrast

It's warm

🔗

더워요

contrast

It's hot

🔗

기온이 낮아요

specialized form

The temperature is low

🔗

한파

builds on

Cold wave

Où l'utiliser

🚌

Waiting for the bus

A: 오늘 날씨가 진짜 추워요, 그쵸?

B: 네, 바람이 너무 많이 불어서 더 춥네요.

neutral
🏢

In a cold office

Employee: 부장님, 사무실 날씨가 좀 추운 것 같습니다.

Manager: 그래요? 히터를 좀 더 세게 틀까요?

formal
📞

On a phone call with parents

Mother: 거기 날씨는 어떠니?

Son: 여기는 오늘 날씨가 아주 추워요. 눈도 와요.

neutral
🧣

First date in winter

A: 날씨가 많이 추운데 제 목도리 쓰실래요?

B: 아니에요, 괜찮아요. 감사합니다.

neutral
☕

Entering a cafe

Customer: 밖의 날씨가 너무 추워요. 따뜻한 라떼 주세요.

Barista: 네, 바로 준비해 드릴게요.

neutral
⛰️

Hiking in autumn

Friend 1: 산 위는 날씨가 더 추워!

Friend 2: 그러게, 점퍼 가져오길 잘했다.

informal

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Think of 'Chew' (추). When it's cold, your teeth chatter and you 'chew' the air. 'Chu-wo-yo!'

Visual Association

Imagine a small penguin wearing a scarf, shivering and saying 'Chu!'. The 'Chu' sound mimics a sneeze or a shiver.

Rhyme

날씨가 추워요, 코트를 입어요! (Nalssiga chuwoyo, koteureul iboyo!)

Story

You step outside in Seoul in January. The wind hits your face. You immediately grab your collar and say 'Chu!'. A friendly local nods and completes your sentence: 'Chu-wo-yo!'

Word Web

춥다추위겨울눈얼음감기코트목도리

Défi

Go to a Korean supermarket or cafe. If you feel the AC is high, say to yourself (or a friend) '날씨가 추워요' and see if they agree.

In Other Languages

Spanish moderate

Hace frío.

Spanish uses a 'doing' verb, Korean uses a 'descriptive' verb.

French moderate

Il fait froid.

French requires the dummy subject 'Il'.

German high

Es ist kalt.

German uses 'kalt' for both weather and objects, unlike Korean.

Japanese high

寒い (Samui).

Japanese often drops the 'weather' subject even more frequently than Korean.

Arabic high

الجو بارد (Al-jawwu baarid).

Arabic adjectives change based on gender, Korean verbs/adjectives do not.

Chinese high

天气很冷 (Tiānqì hěn lěng).

Chinese requires '很' (very) for structural balance even if it's not 'very' cold.

Portuguese moderate

Está frio.

Portuguese focuses on the state, Korean on the description.

English moderate

It is cold.

English uses 'cold' for both weather and ice; Korean splits these into two words.

Easily Confused

날씨가 추워요. vs 차갑다 (Cha-gap-da)

Both mean 'cold' in English.

Use '춥다' for the air/weather. Use '차갑다' for things you can touch (ice, water, hands).

날씨가 추워요. vs 시원하다 (Si-won-ha-da)

Sometimes 'cool' weather is confused with 'cold' weather.

'시원하다' is a positive 'cool/refreshing' feeling. '춥다' is usually a negative 'cold/shivering' feeling.

FAQ (10)

Yes, it means 'I feel cold.' However, '날씨가 추워요' is more common when talking about the environment.

춥다 is 'cold' (winter), while 쌀쌀하다 is 'chilly' (autumn/spring).

You can say '꽁꽁 얼 것 같아요' (I feel like I'm freezing solid).

Yes, but '춥습니다' is safer in very formal meetings or presentations.

Because it's a ㅂ-irregular verb. The ㅂ changes to '우' when meeting a vowel.

No, use '성격이 차가워요' (Personality is cold).

It's very casual slang for 'f***ing cold.' Only use it with very close friends!

Say '밖은 추워요?' (Bak-eun chu-wo-yo?)

In textbooks, yes (날씨가). In real life, people often just say '날씨 추워요'.

덥다 (Deop-da), which means 'to be hot' (weather).

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