Japanese kanji 雨: rain

The idea

A kanji can have Japanese-origin readings (kun) and readings borrowed through Chinese (on); learn each reading with its word. Compare 雨（あめ） and 雨天（うてん） in the table. 雨 has 8 strokes; follow their order in the linked KanjiVG diagram.

Examples

• 雨あめが強つよく降ふっています。It is raining heavily.
• 雨あめの日ひは家いえで本ほんを読よみます。On rainy days I read at home.
• 大雨おおあめで電車でんしゃが止とまっています。The trains have stopped because of heavy rain.
• 空そらに雨雲あまぐもが見みえます。I can see rain clouds in the sky.
• 雨天うてんの場合ばあい、試合しあいは中止ちゅうしです。The game is canceled in rainy weather.
• 雨あめが降ふるのでかさを持もって行いきます。I take an umbrella because it will rain.

Watch out

雨 is read あめ, while 雨天 is read うてん. Learn the reading of each complete word; the character does not have just one pronunciation. 雨 is あめ on its own, あま in 雨雲 and う in 雨天. The form depends on the word.

Try it yourself

1. Write the reading of 雨 in hiragana.

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   あめ

   雨 is read あめ; the expression means “rain”.

2. Write the reading of 雨天 in hiragana.

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   うてん

   雨天 is read うてん; the expression means “rainy weather”.

3. Fill in the missing kanji: ＿天（うてん）.

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   雨

   雨 completes 雨天, read うてん; the expression means “rainy weather”.

Use it today

Cover the table, write 雨 from memory, and read 雨 and 雨天 aloud. Check both the readings and meanings.