How do you say "mist" in Japanese?

霧

kiri

Noun Kanji

In Japanese, "mist" is 霧 (kiri).

Listen to the pronunciation:

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Pronunciation

KEE-ree, two syllables, both light and breathy, almost fading as you say them.

Writing and usage

霧 is written using kanji. It's a noun, and this word is also taught inside the Noun Town language learning game, where it appears in interactive lessons alongside hundreds of other everyday words.

Example sentence

湖の上に薄い霧が垂れ込めていた。

mizuumi no ueni usui kiri ga tare kome teita.

A thin mist hung over the lake.

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How to remember 霧

Kiri seems to fade out as you speak it, much like mist fading into the morning air.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

Questions about 霧

How do you pronounce 霧?

KEE-ree, two syllables, both light and breathy, almost fading as you say them.

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. Romanised, it reads as kiri.

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

You can play free Japanese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Japanese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Mist" in other languages

Curated by Callan Ratcliffe

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. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.

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