How do you say "hail" in Japanese?

あられ

arare

Adjective Hiragana

In Japanese, "hail" is あられ (arare).

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Pronunciation

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

Writing and usage

Arare (あられ) means small hailstones, written in hiragana. It refers specifically to small pieces of ice, distinct from the larger hyo (hail).

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.

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How to remember あられ

Arare sounds sharp and quick, matching the patter of small ice pieces. Picture hard ice bouncing on the ground.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

See more Japanese adjectives.

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 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 あられ written in Japanese?

あられ is written using hiragana. Arare (あられ) means small hailstones, written in hiragana.

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

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"Hail" in other languages

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