Chinese Weather Vocabulary: 70+ Words for Seasons, Temperature, and Daily Conversation

Weather is one of the first things people talk about in any language. In Chinese, it's the go-to small talk topic — at the bus stop, in the elevator, with your neighbor, or when starting a phone call with family. Mastering weather vocabulary opens the door to effortless daily conversation.

This guide covers 70+ weather-related words, from basic conditions like sunny and rainy to temperature expressions, seasonal vocabulary, severe weather terms, and the cultural idioms that Chinese speakers use every day. Whether you're planning a trip to China or Taiwan, preparing for the HSK exam, or just want to chat naturally, this vocabulary will keep the conversation flowing.

Basic Weather Conditions (天气状况)

Start with these foundational weather words. The core question is 天气怎么样？ (tiānqì zěnme yàng?) — "How's the weather?"

Chinese	Pinyin	English	Example
☀️ 晴天	qíngtiān	sunny day	今天是晴天 (It's sunny today)
☁️ 阴天	yīntiān	cloudy day	阴天不热 (Cloudy, not hot)
⛅ 多云	duōyún	partly cloudy	明天多云 (Partly cloudy tomorrow)
🌧️ 下雨	xià yǔ	raining	外面下雨了 (It's raining outside)
🌨️ 下雪	xià xuě	snowing	北京在下雪 (It's snowing in Beijing)
💨 刮风	guā fēng	windy	今天刮大风 (Strong wind today)
🌫️ 有雾	yǒu wù	foggy	早上有雾 (Foggy in the morning)
⛈️ 打雷	dǎ léi	thunder	外面打雷了 (It's thundering)
⚡ 闪电	shǎndiàn	lightning	打雷闪电 (Thunder and lightning)

Key grammar pattern — 了 (le) for weather changes: When talking about weather, Chinese uses the particle 了 to indicate a change of state. For example, 下雨了 (xià yǔ le) does not simply mean "it rains" — it means "it has started raining" or "it's raining now," signaling a shift from the previous condition. Similarly, 天晴了 (tiān qíng le) means "the sky has cleared up." This pattern is essential because weather is constantly changing, and 了 helps you communicate that transition naturally. You will hear it in phrases like 变冷了 (biàn lěng le, it's gotten cold), 起风了 (qǐ fēng le, the wind has picked up), and 停雨了 (tíng yǔ le, the rain has stopped).

Another useful structure is the 要...了 (yào...le) pattern for upcoming weather: 要下雨了 (yào xià yǔ le) means "it's about to rain." Native speakers use this constantly when they see dark clouds or check their weather app. Combined with 好像 (hǎoxiàng, it seems like), you get natural-sounding predictions: 好像要下雨了 (hǎoxiàng yào xià yǔ le) — "It looks like it's going to rain."

Temperature Words and Patterns

Temperature is expressed in Celsius in Chinese-speaking regions. Here's the complete vocabulary for discussing how hot or cold it is:

Chinese	Pinyin	English	Feeling
🥶 冷	lěng	cold	Uncomfortably cold
😊 凉快	liángkuai	cool	Pleasantly cool
😊 暖和	nuǎnhuo	warm	Pleasantly warm
🥵 热	rè	hot	Uncomfortably hot
🌡️ 闷热	mēnrè	muggy/humid	Hot and stuffy
🧊 冰冷	bīnglěng	ice cold	Freezing cold

Temperature sentences:

• 今天几度？(Jīntiān jǐ dù?) — What's the temperature today?
• 今天三十五度。(Jīntiān sānshíwǔ dù.) — It's 35 degrees today.
• 零下十度。(Língxià shí dù.) — Minus 10 degrees.
• 今天比昨天热。(Jīntiān bǐ zuótiān rè.) — Today is hotter than yesterday.

Comparing temperatures with 比 (bǐ): The comparison structure is one of the most practical grammar patterns for discussing weather. Place 比 between the two things you are comparing, followed by the adjective: 上海比北京热 (Shànghǎi bǐ Běijīng rè) — "Shanghai is hotter than Beijing." You can add degree words for emphasis: 今天比昨天冷多了 (jīntiān bǐ zuótiān lěng duō le) — "Today is much colder than yesterday." To say something is about the same, use 差不多 (chàbùduō): 今天和昨天差不多热 — "Today is about as hot as yesterday."

Describing humidity and wind: Beyond basic temperature, Chinese speakers frequently discuss humidity and wind. 潮湿 (cháoshī) means humid or damp, while 干燥 (gānzào) means dry. You can describe conditions like 又热又潮湿 (yòu rè yòu cháoshī) — "both hot and humid" — using the 又...又... pattern. For wind, 微风 (wēifēng) is a gentle breeze, while 大风 (dà fēng) is a strong wind. Weather reports often mention 风力 (fēnglì, wind force) using a numbered scale, such as 五级风 (wǔ jí fēng, force 5 wind).

Four Seasons (四季)

Chinese creates season names by combining a descriptive character with 天 (tiān, sky/day). Each season has its own character, weather patterns, and cultural associations.

Seasonal expressions:

• 我最喜欢秋天。(Wǒ zuì xǐhuan qiūtiān.) — I like autumn the most.
• 台湾的冬天不太冷。(Táiwān de dōngtiān bú tài lěng.) — Winter in Taiwan isn't too cold.
• 北京的春天经常刮风。(Běijīng de chūntiān jīngcháng guā fēng.) — Spring in Beijing is often windy.

Traditional Chinese Solar Terms (节气, jiéqì): Long before modern weather forecasting, Chinese agriculture relied on the 24 solar terms to track seasonal changes. These terms remain deeply embedded in daily life and culture today. Each solar term marks a specific astronomical position and carries associated weather expectations. Beyond the four listed in the culture section below, several others appear frequently in conversation and media:

• 雨水 (yǔshuǐ) — Rain Water (around February 19): marks the transition from snow to rain as temperatures rise
• 惊蛰 (jīngzhé) — Awakening of Insects (around March 5): spring thunder wakes hibernating creatures
• 小满 (xiǎomǎn) — Grain Buds (around May 21): crops begin to ripen, rainfall increases
• 白露 (báilù) — White Dew (around September 7): morning dew signals the arrival of cooler autumn air
• 霜降 (shuāngjiàng) — Frost's Descent (around October 23): first frost appears in northern regions
• 大雪 (dàxuě) — Major Snow (around December 7): heavy snowfall begins in many parts of China

Learning even a few solar terms gives you insight into how Chinese culture connects weather, nature, and daily life. You might hear someone say 都惊蛰了，怎么还这么冷 (dōu jīngzhé le, zěnme hái zhème lěng) — "It's already Jingzhe, why is it still so cold?" — using the solar term as a reference point for expected weather.

Severe Weather and Natural Events

These words are important for travel safety and understanding news reports. Taiwan and southern China experience typhoons regularly, while northern China deals with sandstorms and extreme cold.

Chinese	Pinyin	English	Where Common
台风	táifēng	typhoon	Taiwan, Southeast coast
暴风雨	bàofēngyǔ	storm	Everywhere
沙尘暴	shāchénbào	sandstorm	Northern China, Beijing spring
洪水	hóngshuǐ	flood	Southern China summer
地震	dìzhèn	earthquake	Taiwan, Sichuan
干旱	gānhàn	drought	Northern and western China
雾霾	wùmái	smog/haze	Major cities in winter
冰雹	bīngbáo	hail	Northern plains

Related weather items:

• 雨伞 (yǔsǎn) — umbrella
• 雨衣 (yǔyī) — raincoat
• 防晒霜 (fángshàishuāng) — sunscreen
• 口罩 (kǒuzhào) — face mask (for smog/cold)
• 暖气 (nuǎnqì) — heating
• 空调 (kōngtiáo) — air conditioning

Essential Weather Sentences

These are the sentence patterns you'll actually use in real conversations. Practice mixing and matching the weather words above with these structures.

Weather in Chinese Culture

Weather is deeply embedded in Chinese culture, from the traditional agricultural calendar to everyday greetings. Understanding these cultural connections makes your Chinese feel more natural.

Weather as a conversation starter: In Chinese culture, weather is one of the most reliable ways to open a conversation with strangers, acquaintances, or even close friends. Unlike in some Western cultures where weather small talk can feel superficial, in Chinese it often carries genuine warmth and concern. Older generations in particular will greet you with weather-based care: 今天降温了，多穿点 (jīntiān jiàngwēn le, duō chuān diǎn) — "The temperature dropped today, dress warmly." This is a form of showing 关心 (guānxīn, caring concern), and responding appropriately builds social connection. Common conversation openers include 最近天气真不错 (zuìjìn tiānqì zhēn búcuò, the weather has been really nice lately) and 这天气太难受了 (zhè tiānqì tài nánshòu le, this weather is unbearable). In office settings, 今天好冷啊 (jīntiān hǎo lěng a, it's so cold today) is a perfectly natural way to start chatting with a colleague.

The 24 Solar Terms (二十四节气): China's traditional calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms based on weather and farming cycles. Some terms you might hear in daily life include:

• 立春 (lìchūn) — Start of Spring (around February 4)
• 清明 (qīngmíng) — Clear and Bright (tomb-sweeping festival, April 5)
• 大暑 (dàshǔ) — Great Heat (hottest period, late July)
• 冬至 (dōngzhì) — Winter Solstice (family reunion, eating dumplings)

Regional weather differences: China spans a massive geographic range, so weather vocabulary varies by region:

• Taiwan: Subtropical — 台风 (typhoons), 梅雨季 (méiyǔ jì, plum rain season in May-June), year-round warmth
• Beijing: Four distinct seasons — 沙尘暴 (sandstorms in spring), harsh 冬天 (winters), beautiful 秋天 (autumn)
• Shanghai: Humid — 闷热 (muggy summers), 梅雨季 (plum rain season), mild winters
• Harbin: Extreme cold — 零下三十度 (minus 30°C), famous for 冰雪节 (Ice and Snow Festival)

Regional climate vocabulary in practice: Because China's climate zones range from tropical in the south to subarctic in the northeast, the weather words you need depend heavily on where you are. In Guangzhou and southern China, you will frequently use 潮湿 (cháoshī, humid), 闷热 (mēnrè, muggy), and 台风 (táifēng, typhoon). In the dry north, words like 干燥 (gānzào, dry), 沙尘暴 (shāchénbào, sandstorm), and 暖气 (nuǎnqì, indoor heating) come up constantly. In southwestern cities like Chengdu, locals joke that they rarely see the sun, using the phrase 阴天 (yīntiān, overcast) more than almost any other weather word. Meanwhile, high-altitude areas like Tibet introduce unique terms like 紫外线强 (zǐwàixiàn qiáng, strong UV rays) and 高原反应 (gāoyuán fǎnyìng, altitude sickness), which appear in travel advisories and daily conversation alike.

Weather Idioms and Expressions

Weather-related idioms are among the most commonly used in Chinese. They add color to your speech and help you understand native conversations.

Expression	Pinyin	Literal	Meaning
风和日丽	fēng hé rì lì	gentle wind, beautiful sun	A beautiful, pleasant day
雪中送炭	xuě zhōng sòng tàn	send charcoal in the snow	Help someone in need
雨过天晴	yǔ guò tiān qíng	after rain, sky clears	Things improve after hardship
晴天霹雳	qíngtiān pīlì	thunder from clear sky	Shocking, unexpected news
冰冻三尺非一日之寒	bīng dòng sān chǐ fēi yī rì zhī hán	three feet of ice didn't freeze in one day	Problems build over time
天寒地冻	tiān hán dì dòng	sky cold, earth frozen	Extremely cold weather
春暖花开	chūn nuǎn huā kāi	spring warmth, flowers bloom	Beautiful spring weather; a fresh start
秋高气爽	qiū gāo qì shuǎng	autumn high, air refreshing	Clear, crisp autumn weather
乌云密布	wūyún mìbù	dark clouds densely spread	Overcast sky; trouble brewing
风调雨顺	fēng tiáo yǔ shùn	wind harmonious, rain smooth	Favorable weather; everything going well

These idioms appear in both literal and metaphorical contexts. For example, you might describe actual autumn weather as 秋高气爽, but a friend might also use 乌云密布 to describe a tense situation at work. When someone helps you during a difficult period, 雪中送炭 is the perfect expression. Learning to use weather idioms in both their literal and figurative senses is a sign of intermediate-to-advanced fluency and will impress native speakers.

Everyday weather expressions: Beyond formal idioms, Chinese speakers use many casual weather-related phrases. 出太阳了 (chū tàiyáng le) means "the sun has come out." 天黑了 (tiān hēi le) means "it's gotten dark," often used to signal the end of the day. 天亮了 (tiān liàng le) means "it's gotten light," used for dawn. The phrase 看天气 (kàn tiānqì) literally means "look at the weather" but is used to mean "it depends on the weather" — as in 我们去不去看天气吧 (wǒmen qù bú qù kàn tiānqì ba, whether we go depends on the weather).

Practice Conversations

Use these dialogues to practice weather vocabulary in realistic contexts:

Weather vocabulary connects naturally to many other topic areas. Explore our travel phrases guide for conversations during your trip, or check out Chinese color vocabulary to describe the sky and nature. Use our Daily Character tool to practice one new weather character each day, and browse the HSK Vocabulary Browser to see which weather words appear on each exam level.