How do you say "snowstorm" in Japanese?

In Japanese, "snowstorm" is 吹雪 (fubuki). It is a adjective pronounced "foo-boo-kee".

Listen to the pronunciation:

Pronunciation

吹雪 is written in kanji. Romanised as fubuki, it sounds roughly like "foo-boo-kee" to an English ear.

Example sentence

山では激しい吹雪になっています。

Yama de wa hageshii fubuki ni natte imasu.

There is a fierce blizzard in the mountains.

Usage notes

Fubuki (吹雪) means a blizzard or snowstorm with strong winds. It is particularly associated with the snowy regions of northern Japan such as Hokkaido and Tohoku.

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Questions about 吹雪

How do you pronounce 吹雪?

吹雪 is romanised as fubuki. Say it roughly like "foo-boo-kee" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 吹雪 formal or casual?

吹雪 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 吹雪 written in Japanese?

吹雪 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.