How do you say "hail" in Japanese?

In Japanese, "hail" is あられ (arare). It is a adjective pronounced "ah-rah-reh".

Listen to the pronunciation:

Pronunciation

あられ is written in hiragana. Romanised as arare, it sounds roughly like "ah-rah-reh" to an English ear.

Example sentence

あられが屋根を叩く音がします。

Arare ga yane wo tataku oto ga shimasu.

I can hear the sound of hail hitting the roof.

Usage notes

Arare (あられ) means small hailstones. It refers specifically to small pieces of ice that fall during cold weather, distinct from the larger hyo (hail).

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Questions about あられ

How do you pronounce あられ?

あられ is romanised as arare. Say it roughly like "ah-rah-reh" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is あられ formal or casual?

あられ is a na-adjective or noun-adjective. It is neutral in register and fits naturally in both casual and polite sentences. Add na before a noun, or use desu for a polite predicate.

How is あられ written in Japanese?

あられ is written using hiragana. Hiragana is the basic Japanese syllabary used for native words and grammatical elements.

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Japanese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation.