How to say “cloud” in Japanese
Japanese people would say “kumo”. It is the Japanese word for ‘cloud’. Very simple. In this blog post, however, I will explain this word in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I will explain how to use it through example sentences. Let’s get started!
Contents
Definition and meaning of “kumo”
Let me start with the definition and meaning of “kumo”.
- kumo – 雲 (くも) : a noun meaning ‘cloud’ in Japanese. This can also work as a plural noun. Learn more about Japanese plural.
Its definition and meaning are very simple and clear. Unfortunately, however, it has a homophone which means ‘spider’ in Japanese. So, we need to be careful with the context in speaking.
To understand this word more clearly, let me explain its kanji components in detail, one by one.
Kanji components of “kumo”
The kanji of “kumo” consists of the following two parts:
- 雨 : a kanji character used to mean ‘rain’ in Japanese. This can also be found in other words like “ame“, “yuki“, and “kaminari“.
- 云 : a kanji character used to express the act of saying. Originally, this was used as a symbol expressing a cloud shape.
From these two components, we can understand that “kumo” in the Japanese language is a rain teller. This is a good metaphor for clouds, I think.
When we meet new kanji expressions, we should check their kanji characters in detail to understand their meanings clearly and deeply. In many cases, kanji characters tell us a lot about meanings of words they form. Actually, here, we could get the better understanding of “kumo” through the detailed kanji check above.
Then, let me explain how to use this word through the example sentences below.
Example #1: how to say “clouds” in Japanese
sora ni kumo ga aru – 空に雲がある (そらにくもがある)
There are clouds in the sky.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- sora – 空 (そら) : a noun meaning ‘sky’ in Japanese.
- ni – に : a case particle used to indicate a place which someone or something is in. In the example, this is used after “sora” to say where clouds are.
- ga – が : a case particle used to make the subject word or the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “kumo” to make the subject word in the sentence.
- aru – ある : a verb used to express existence of inanimate things. In the example, this is used to express the existence of clouds.
This is a typical usage of “kumo”. In this example, this works as a part of the commonly-used expression, “kumo ga aru”, which means ‘there is a cloud’ or ‘there are clouds’ in Japanese.
Example #2: another usage of “kumo”
kumo ga taiyou wo saegiru – 雲が太陽を遮る (くもがたいようをさえぎる)
Clouds block the sun.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- taiyou – 太陽 (たいよう) : a noun meaning ‘sun’ in Japanese.
- wo – を : a case particle used to make the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “taiyou” to make the object word in the sentence.
- saegiru – 遮る (さえぎる) : a verb meaning ‘to block’, ‘to cut off’, or such in Japanese.
This is another typical usage of “kumo”. When we want to say “cloud” or “clouds” in Japanese, this word is always the best choice.
Summary
In this blog post, I’ve explained “kumo” in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I’ve explained how to use it through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.
- kumo – 雲 (くも) : a noun meaning ‘cloud’ in Japanese. This can also work as a plural noun. This kanji character consists of the two parts. The upper part means ‘rain’; the lower part expresses the act of saying. So, its kanji concept is ‘a rain teller’. This is a good metaphor for clouds. When we want to say “cloud” or “clouds” in Japanese, this word is always the best choice.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.
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