How do you say "snow" in Japanese?

In Japanese, "snow" is (yuki). It is a adjective pronounced "yoo-kee".

Listen to the pronunciation:

Pronunciation

雪 is written in kanji. Romanised as yuki, it sounds roughly like "yoo-kee" to an English ear.

Example sentence

昨夜から雪が降り続いています。

Sakuya kara yuki ga furitsuzuite imasu.

Snow has been falling since last night.

Usage notes

Yuki (雪) means snow. Snowfall varies widely across Japan. Hokkaido and the Sea of Japan coast receive heavy snow, while Tokyo only sees it a few times each year.

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Questions about 雪

How do you pronounce 雪?

雪 is romanised as yuki. Say it roughly like "yoo-kee" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 雪 formal or casual?

雪 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 雪 written in Japanese?

雪 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.