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.
Explanation at your level:
Meaning
Stating that the temperature is low and it feels cold.
Cultural Background
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!'
Meaning
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.
Test Yourself
Choose the correct word to describe a cold winter day.
오늘 _____ 추워요.
Only '날씨가' (weather) fits the context of '춥다' (cold weather).
Conjugate the verb '춥다' to the polite present tense.
밖이 너무 (춥다) ________.
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.
For objects like water, you must use '차갑다', not '춥다'.
Complete the dialogue.
A: 오늘 날씨가 어때요? B: 눈이 오고 정말 ________.
If it's snowing (눈이 오고), it's likely cold (추워요).
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
춥다 vs 차갑다
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsYes, 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).
Related Phrases
쌀쌀해요
similarIt's chilly
따뜻해요
contrastIt's warm
더워요
contrastIt's hot
기온이 낮아요
specialized formThe temperature is low
한파
builds onCold wave
Where to Use It
Waiting for the bus
A: 오늘 날씨가 진짜 추워요, 그쵸?
B: 네, 바람이 너무 많이 불어서 더 춥네요.
In a cold office
Employee: 부장님, 사무실 날씨가 좀 추운 것 같습니다.
Manager: 그래요? 히터를 좀 더 세게 틀까요?
On a phone call with parents
Mother: 거기 날씨는 어떠니?
Son: 여기는 오늘 날씨가 아주 추워요. 눈도 와요.
First date in winter
A: 날씨가 많이 추운데 제 목도리 쓰실래요?
B: 아니에요, 괜찮아요. 감사합니다.
Entering a cafe
Customer: 밖의 날씨가 너무 추워요. 따뜻한 라떼 주세요.
Barista: 네, 바로 준비해 드릴게요.
Hiking in autumn
Friend 1: 산 위는 날씨가 더 추워!
Friend 2: 그러게, 점퍼 가져오길 잘했다.
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
Challenge
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
Hace frío.
Spanish uses a 'doing' verb, Korean uses a 'descriptive' verb.
Il fait froid.
French requires the dummy subject 'Il'.
Es ist kalt.
German uses 'kalt' for both weather and objects, unlike Korean.
寒い (Samui).
Japanese often drops the 'weather' subject even more frequently than Korean.
الجو بارد (Al-jawwu baarid).
Arabic adjectives change based on gender, Korean verbs/adjectives do not.
天气很冷 (Tiānqì hěn lěng).
Chinese requires '很' (very) for structural balance even if it's not 'very' cold.
Está frio.
Portuguese focuses on the state, Korean on the description.
It is cold.
English uses 'cold' for both weather and ice; Korean splits these into two words.
Easily Confused
Both mean 'cold' in English.
Use '춥다' for the air/weather. Use '차갑다' for things you can touch (ice, water, hands).
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).
