How do you say "fog" in Japanese?

霧

kiri

Adjective Kanji

In Japanese, "fog" is 霧 (kiri).

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Pronunciation

霧 is written using kanji. Romanised as kiri, it sounds roughly like "kee-ree" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

Kiri (霧) means fog or mist. Coastal areas and mountains in Japan experience dense fog, and the word appears in weather reports and classical Japanese poetry.

Example sentence

今朝は濃い霧で視界が悪かったです。

Kesa wa koi kiri de shikai ga warukatta desu.

Heavy fog this morning made visibility poor.

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How to remember 霧

Kiri sounds mysterious and quiet, matching fog. Picture a thick gray fog obscuring everything around you.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

See more Japanese adjectives.

Questions about 霧

How do you pronounce 霧?

霧 is romanised as kiri. Say it roughly like "kee-ree" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 霧 formal or casual?

霧 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 霧 written in Japanese?

霧 is written using kanji. Kiri (霧) means fog or mist.

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

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"Fog" in other languages

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