How do you say "heavy rain" in Japanese?

In Japanese, "heavy rain" is 大雨 (ōame). It is a adjective pronounced "oh-ah-meh".

Listen to the pronunciation:

Pronunciation

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

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.

Usage notes

Oame (大雨) means heavy rain. Weather warnings in Japan classify rain intensity carefully, and oame indicates a potentially hazardous downpour.

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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 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 大雨 written in Japanese?

大雨 is written using kanji. Kanji characters carry the core meaning; any hiragana or katakana that follow show grammatical endings.

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.