How do you say "heavy rain" in Japanese?

大雨

ōame

Adjective Kanji

In Japanese, "heavy rain" is 大雨 (ōame).

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Pronunciation

大雨 is written using kanji. Romanised as ōame, it sounds roughly like "oh-ah-meh" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

Oame (大雨) means heavy rain using the kanji for big. Weather warnings in Japan classify rain intensity, and oame indicates potentially hazardous downpours.

Example sentence

今夜は大雨の警報が出ています。

Konya wa oame no keihou ga dete imasu.

A heavy rain warning has been issued for tonight.

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How to remember 大雨

Oame uses 大 (big), making it heavy rain. Picture intense rainfall coming down in sheets.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

See more Japanese adjectives.

Questions about 大雨

How do you pronounce 大雨?

大雨 is romanised as ōame. Say it roughly like "oh-ah-meh" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 大雨 formal or casual?

大雨 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 大雨 written in Japanese?

大雨 is written using kanji. Oame (大雨) means heavy rain using the kanji for big.

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

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"Heavy rain" in other languages

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