§ Understanding 寒い (samui)
The Japanese word 寒い (samui) is an i-adjective. This means it ends in い (i) and directly modifies nouns or acts as a predicate (describes the subject of a sentence) without needing a linking verb like 'is' or 'are' in English. Think of it like 'cold' as in 'cold weather,' not 'cold object.' For a cold object, you would use 冷たい (tsumetai).
§ Using 寒い (samui) to describe the weather
This is the most common use of 寒い (samui). You can simply state that it's cold.
今日は寒いです。
Kyou wa samui desu.
It is cold today.
You can also use it to describe a specific day, season, or place as being cold.
北海道の冬はとても寒いです。
Hokkaidou no fuyu wa totemo samui desu.
Winter in Hokkaido is very cold.
§ Modifying nouns with 寒い (samui)
Since 寒い (samui) is an i-adjective, you can directly place it before a noun to describe that noun.
寒い日でした。
Samui hi deshita.
It was a cold day.
寒い冬が好きですか？
Samui fuyu ga suki desu ka?
Do you like cold winters?
§ Making it negative: 寒くない (samukunai)
To make an i-adjective negative, you drop the final い (i) and add くない (kunai). So, 寒い (samui) becomes 寒くない (samukunai).
今日は寒くないです。
Kyou wa samukunai desu.
It is not cold today.
§ Expressing past tense: 寒かった (samukatta)
To put an i-adjective in the past tense, you drop the final い (i) and add かった (katta). So, 寒い (samui) becomes 寒かった (samukatta).
昨日はとても寒かったです。
Kinou wa totemo samukatta desu.
It was very cold yesterday.
§ Past negative tense: 寒くなかった (samukunakatta)
Combine the negative form (寒くない) with the past tense rule. Drop the final い (i) from 寒くない (samukunai) and add かった (katta). So, 寒くない (samukunai) becomes 寒くなかった (samukunakatta).
昨日はあまり寒くなかったです。
Kinou wa amari samukunakatta desu.
It was not very cold yesterday.
§ Connecting clauses with 寒い (samui)
You can connect two clauses where the first clause uses 寒い (samui) by changing it to its て-form (te-form). For i-adjectives, you drop the final い (i) and add くて (kute).
寒くて、外に出たくなかったです。
Samukute, soto ni detakunatta desu.
It was cold, so I didn't want to go outside.
§ Using adverbs to modify 寒い (samui)
You can use adverbs like とても (totemo - very), 少し (sukoshi - a little), or かなり (kanari - quite/considerably) before 寒い (samui) to modify its intensity.
- とても (totemo)
- Very
- 少し (sukoshi)
- A little
- かなり (kanari)
- Quite, considerably
今日はとても寒いです。
Kyou wa totemo samui desu.
It is very cold today.
少し寒いですね。
Sukoshi samui desu ne.
It's a little cold, isn't it?
सुझाव
Basic Meaning of さむい
さむい (samui) is a common Japanese adjective meaning cold, specifically referring to weather or ambient temperature. Think of a chilly day.
Pronunciation Practice
The pronunciation is 'sa-mu-i'. The 'sa' is like in sake, 'mu' is like in moose, and 'i' is like in ski. Practice saying it aloud.
How to Use in a Sentence
To say 'It's cold,' you can use: 今日はさむいです (Kyou wa samui desu). 'Kyou' means today, and 'desu' is a polite ending. The structure is [Topic] は [Adjective] です.
Asking if it's Cold
To ask 'Is it cold?', simply add か (ka) to the end: さむいですか？ (Samui desu ka?). 'Ka' turns a statement into a question.
Don't Confuse with Tsumetai
さむい is for weather. For cold objects or drinks (like a cold drink or a cold hand), use つめたい (tsumetai). For example, 冷たい水 (tsumetai mizu) means cold water.
Using with Nouns
When さむい modifies a noun, it comes directly before it. For example, 寒い日 (samui hi) means cold day, and 寒い朝 (samui asa) means cold morning.
Expressing Feeling Cold
If you feel cold, you can say 私はさむいです (Watashi wa samui desu). 'Watashi' means I. Often, if the context is clear, 'watashi wa' can be omitted.
Winter Season Use
さむい is very frequently used during winter in Japan. You'll hear it in conversations, weather reports, and even in greetings, like 'さむくなりましたね' (Samuku narimashita ne) meaning 'It's gotten cold, hasn't it?'
Making it Past Tense
To say 'It was cold,' change the ending: さむかったです (Samukatta desu). This is the past tense form for i-adjectives.
Opposite: Atsui
The opposite of さむい is あつい (atsui), which means hot (weather). Learning opposites together can help with retention.
खुद को परखो 42 सवाल
今日はとても___ですね。
The sentence means 'It's very ___ today, isn't it?' さむい (cold) is the correct adjective for describing cold weather.
冬は___日が多いです。
The sentence means 'There are many ___ days in winter.' さむい (cold) is the appropriate word to describe winter days.
北海道の冬は本当に___。
The sentence means 'Winter in Hokkaido is really ___.' 北海道 (Hokkaido) is known for its cold winters, so さむい (cold) fits best.
コートを着ないと___ですよ。
The sentence means 'If you don't wear a coat, you'll be ___.' A coat is worn to protect against cold, so さむい (cold) is correct.
この部屋は暖房がないので___です。
The sentence means 'This room is ___ because there's no heating.' Without heating, a room would be cold, making さむい (cold) the correct choice.
昨日は一日中___風が吹いていました。
The sentence means 'A ___ wind was blowing all day yesterday.' When describing a wind that makes you feel cold, さむい (cold) is used as an adjective modifying 'wind'.
The speaker is commenting on the weather today.
The sentence is about winter in a specific region of Japan.
The speaker wants to eat something warm on a cold day.
Read this aloud:
寒いですね。
Focus: さむいですね (samui desu ne)
तुमने कहा:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
明日はもっと寒くなるでしょう。
Focus: あしたはもっとさむくなるでしょう (ashita wa motto samuku naru deshou)
तुमने कहा:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
寒いから、コートを着ましょう。
Focus: さむいから、コートをききましょう (samui kara, kooto o kimashou)
तुमने कहा:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
今日の天気予報によると、明日はとても___なるそうです。 (According to today's weather forecast, tomorrow it will be very ___.)
The context implies a weather condition, and 'さむく' (cold) is the appropriate adjective form for '寒い' (cold).
冬の北海道は本当に___、手袋がないと手が凍えてしまいます。 (Hokkaido in winter is truly ___, my hands freeze without gloves.)
The sentence describes the coldness of Hokkaido in winter, so 'さむく' (cold) fits the context.
外は___から、厚いコートを着て出かけたほうがいいですよ。 (It's ___ outside, so you should wear a thick coat when you go out.)
The advice to wear a thick coat indicates that the weather is cold. 'さむい' (cold) is the correct choice.
夜になると急に___なって、ストーブをつけました。 (When night came, it suddenly became ___, so I turned on the stove.)
Turning on the stove suggests the temperature dropped and it became cold. 'さむく' (cold) is the correct form.
この部屋はいつも日当たりが悪くて、冬は特に___感じます。 (This room always has poor sunlight, and in winter it feels especially ___.)
Poor sunlight in winter would make a room feel cold. 'さむく' (cold) is the appropriate adjective form.
今年の冬は例年よりも___なるという予報が出ています。 (The forecast says this winter will be ___ than usual.)
The context of a winter forecast predicting a change in temperature implies it will be colder. 'さむく' (cold) is the correct word.
The speaker is commenting on the weather today.
The speaker is talking about their feeling regarding this winter.
The speaker is giving advice for cold days.
Read this aloud:
北海道の冬は本当に寒いですが、景色は素晴らしいです。
Focus: Hokkaido no fuyu wa hontou ni samui desu ga, keshiki wa subarashii desu.
तुमने कहा:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
寒い朝には温かいコーヒーを飲むのが一番です。
Focus: Samui asa ni wa atatakai koohii o nomu no ga ichiban desu.
तुमने कहा:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
東京の冬は比較的寒いですが、雪はあまり降りません。
Focus: Toukyou no fuyu wa hikakuteki samui desu ga, yuki wa amari furimasen.
तुमने कहा:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
The cold weather this winter is unusual.
On such a cold day, warm ramen is the best.
Hokkaido winters are colder than imagined.
Read this aloud:
最近、朝晩がめっきり寒くなりましたね。
Focus: めっきり (mekkiri)
तुमने कहा:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
寒い中、お疲れ様です。温かいお茶でもいかがですか？
Focus: お疲れ様です (otsukaresama desu)
तुमने कहा:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
この冬一番の寒さだとニュースで言っていました。
Focus: 一番 (ichiban)
तुमने कहा:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Choose the most appropriate word to complete the sentence: 厳しい冬の寒さに___、心身ともに凍えるようだった。
「耐え忍ぶ」は、困難な状況や苦しみにじっと我慢するという意味で、厳しい寒さに耐える状況に最も適しています。
「凍えるような寒さ」と表現する際、この「凍えるような」が持つニュアンスとして最も近いものは次のうちどれですか。
「凍えるような」は、極度の寒さで体が凍りつくような感覚を表し、非常に冷たいと感じる状態を指します。
次の文の中で、「寒さ」に関連する表現として最も適切なものを選びなさい: 冬の夜は___、星が輝いていた。
「しんしんと冷え込む」は、静かに、そして厳しく冷え込む様子を表す言葉で、冬の夜の寒さに合致します。
「寒波が襲来し、各地で猛暑日を記録した」という文は、文脈上正しい。
「寒波」は寒さをもたらす気象現象であり、「猛暑日」は非常に暑い日を指します。これらが同時に起こることはありません。
「凍てつくような朝、暖炉の火が恋しくなる」という表現は、寒さに対する自然な感情を表している。
「凍てつくような朝」は非常に寒い朝を意味し、そのような状況で暖炉の火を恋しく思うのは自然な感覚です。
日本の冬は、地域によっては「雪」が降らず、「寒さ」だけが続くことはない。
日本の冬は、地域によって降雪量が大きく異なります。雪が降らない地域でも寒さは続きます。例えば、太平洋側の地域では雪が少ないですが、寒さは厳しいです。
This sentence describes that today was a very cold day. 「今日は」means 'today', 「非常に」means 'extremely/very', 「寒い」means 'cold', and 「一日でした」means 'was a day'.
This sentence expresses that Hokkaido in winter is truly cold. 「冬の」means 'winter's', 「北海道は」means 'Hokkaido (topic)', 「本当に」means 'really', and 「寒いですね」means 'it's cold, isn't it?'.
This sentence asks if someone is okay with light clothing despite the cold. 「こんなに」means 'this much', 「寒いのに」means 'even though it's cold', 「薄着で」means 'with light clothing', and 「大丈夫ですか？」means 'are you alright?'.
/ 42 correct
Perfect score!
Basic Meaning of さむい
さむい (samui) is a common Japanese adjective meaning cold, specifically referring to weather or ambient temperature. Think of a chilly day.
Pronunciation Practice
The pronunciation is 'sa-mu-i'. The 'sa' is like in sake, 'mu' is like in moose, and 'i' is like in ski. Practice saying it aloud.
How to Use in a Sentence
To say 'It's cold,' you can use: 今日はさむいです (Kyou wa samui desu). 'Kyou' means today, and 'desu' is a polite ending. The structure is [Topic] は [Adjective] です.
Asking if it's Cold
To ask 'Is it cold?', simply add か (ka) to the end: さむいですか？ (Samui desu ka?). 'Ka' turns a statement into a question.
उदाहरण
冬はさむいですね。
संबंधित सामग्री
यह शब्द अन्य भाषाओं में
nature के और शब्द
～上
B1Above; on top of; up.
〜の上
A2On top of, above, upon.
豊か
B1Abundant; rich; plentiful (na-adjective).
〜に従って
B1According to, in conformity with, as (something happens).
酸性雨
B1Acid rain.
営み
B1Activity; daily life; undertaking (e.g., life's activities).
順応する
B1To adapt; to adjust; to conform.
~を背景に
B1Against the backdrop of; with...as background.
空気
A2air
大気汚染
B1Air pollution; the presence of harmful substances in the air.
