Wind in Japanese: kaze, explained with its related expressions

How to say “wind” in Japanese

Japanese people would say “kaze”. It is the Japanese word for ‘wind’. Very simple, I think. In this blog post, however, I will explain this word with example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners to say “wind” properly in Japanese and use its related expressions. Then, let’s get started!

Contents

• Definition and meanings of “kaze”
  • Example #1: how to say “wind is blowing” in Japanese
  • Example #2: how to say “windy” in Japanese
• Summary

Definition and meanings of “kaze”

Let me start with the definition and meanings of “kaze”.

• kaze – 風 (かぜ) : a noun meaning ‘wind’, ‘breeze’, or ‘draft’ in Japanese.

The definition and meanings are simple and clear, I think. Yet, we need to be careful with its homonym which means ‘cold’ in Japanese. When “kaze” is used to refer to the weather conditions, it means ‘wind’; when it is used to refer to health conditions, it means ‘cold’.

Then, let me explain how to use “kaze” through the example sentence below.

Example #1: how to say “wind is blowing” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• 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 “kaze” to make the subject word in the sentence.
• fui – 吹い (ふい) : one conjugation of the verb, “fuku”, which means ‘to blow’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
• te – て : a conjunctive particle used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its te form. In the example, this is used after the conjugated verb, “fui”, to make its te form, “fui te”. Verbs need to be changed to their te forms to be connected with “iru”.
• iru – いる : an auxiliary verb used after a verb to express the continuity of its action. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese iru form. In the example, this is used after the te-formed verb, “fui te”, to express the continuity of its action, ‘to blow’. So, this auxiliary verb is the key to making present progressive forms in Japanese.

This is a typical usage of “kaze”. In this example, it works as a part of the commonly-used expression, “kaze ga fui te iru”, which means ‘the wind is blowing’ in Japanese. The context is very clear, so we can understand that “kaze” means ‘wind’.

Next, then, let me explain how to say “windy” with “kaze”.

Example #2: how to say “windy” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• kyou – 今日 (きょう) : a noun meaning ‘today’ in Japanese. Grammatically this is a noun, but can also work as an adverb. In the example, this works as a part of the adverb phrase.
• wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this is used after “kyou” to provide a topic.
• tsuyoi – 強い (つよい) : an i-adjective meaning ‘strong’ in Japanese. In the example, this is used to describe the strength of the wind.
• desu – です : an auxiliary verb used after a noun or adjective to make it polite. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese desu form. In the example, this is used after “tsuyoi” to make it sound polite.

This is another typical usage of “kaze”. In this example, it works as a part of the commonly-used expression, “kaze ga tsuyoi”. As the components suggest, the expression literally means ‘wind is strong’ in Japanese. Normally, however, it is often translated just as ‘it’s windy’.

Summary

In this blog post, I’ve explained “kaze” and its related expressions through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.

• kaze – 風 (かぜ) : a noun meaning ‘wind’, ‘breeze’, or ‘draft’ in Japanese. We need to be careful with its homonym which means ‘cold’ in Japanese.
• kaze ga fui te iru – 風が吹いている (かぜがふいている) : a commonly-used expression meaning ‘(the) wind is blowing’ in Japanese.
• kaze ga tsuyoi – 風が強い (かぜがつよい) : a commonly-used expression meaning ‘it’s windy’ in Japanese. This expression literally means ‘wind is strong’, but is often translated into English as ‘it’s windy’.

Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.