How to say "cold" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 寒いさむいi-adjectiveThe everyday adjective for cold weather and cold air — the word you use when you yourself feel cold, as in stepping outside on a winter morning.
- 冷たいつめたいi-adjectiveCold to the touch — water, drinks, food, metal, someone's hands. Also extended to an unfriendly, unwelcoming manner. Choose this for things you touch, and 寒い for the weather.
- prenominal modifierThe borrowed English word, kept mostly for set phrases and specialist contexts such as sport; it is seldom the word you want for ordinary cold weather or cold objects — use 寒い or 冷たい.
- 寒冷かんれいna-adjective, no-adjectiveA noun meaning cold or coldness, found chiefly in set expressions and compounds rather than standing alone; to say the weather is cold you need the adjective 寒い.
- 冷気れいきnounA noun for cold air or a chill as a thing in itself — cold that drifts in, a cold wave. To say it is cold outside, use the adjective 寒い instead.
Use 「寒い」 for cold weather and how the air feels, 「冷たい」 for things cold to the touch; the remaining three are nouns or a loanword with narrower, mostly set-phrase or descriptive uses.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
- 寒いさむいcold (e.g. weather)
- 冷たいつめたいcold (to the touch)
- コールドcold
- 寒冷かんれいcold
- 冷気れいきcold
- 寒気かんきcold
- 冷ややかひややかcold
- そっけないcold
- 凛りんcold
- 無愛想ぶあいそうunsociable
- 寒さむcold
- 冷然れいぜんcold (attitude)
- つれないcold
- 冷寒れいかんcold
- 冷々れいれいcold
- ひゃっこいcold
- 冷やっこいひやっこいcold (to the touch)
- ちべたいcold (to the touch)
- ぎすぎすstiff (atmosphere, manner, etc.)
- よそよそしいdistant
- 冷涼れいりょうcool
- すげないcurt
- 世知辛いせちがらいtough (world)
- 疎々しいうとうとしいunfriendly
- つんつんaloof
- 風邪かぜ(common) cold
- 感冒かんぼう(common) cold
- 風かぜcold
- つらいcruel
- 冷やひやcold
- 冷淡れいたんcold
- 無機質むきしつcold
- お寒いおさむいcold
- 曲がないきょくがないunsociable
- つらたんcruel
- 塩しおcold
- アイスcold
See also
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