How do you say "cold" in Japanese?

寒い

Samui

Adjective Kanji

In Japanese, "cold" is 寒い (Samui).

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Pronunciation

寒い is written using kanji. Romanised as Samui, it sounds roughly like "sah-moo-ee" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

Samui (寒い) is an i-adjective specifically for cold atmospheric temperature or season. Do not use it for objects that feel cold to the touch; use tsumetai instead.

Example sentence

今日はとても寒いです。

Kyou wa totemo samui desu.

It is very cold today.

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How to remember 寒い

Samui describes the cold of winter air and snow. The kanji 寒 uses a roof radical with something inside shivering from cold.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

See more Japanese adjectives.

Questions about 寒い

How do you pronounce 寒い?

寒い is romanised as Samui. Say it roughly like "sah-moo-ee" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 寒い formal or casual?

寒い is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is 寒い written in Japanese?

寒い is written using kanji. Samui (寒い) is an i-adjective specifically for cold atmospheric temperature or season.

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

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"Cold" in other languages

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