Climate, the forecast, and the weather beyond plain sun and rain.
Practise this list
From these 41 words, as many per round as you like — up to all of them: first what is due today, then new ones. First you choose, then you fill the gap, then you write it yourself. Mistakes come back again shortly.
More about this list
The first weather words name the state of the sky; these describe how the weather feels and what the forecast says. Forecast words are compact: 阵雨 is a passing shower and 雷阵雨 one with thunder. Watch the verbs, which English does not predict: rain and frost "come down" with 下, thunder is "struck" with 打, and fog is not thick but big: 雾很大.
The words
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Verb (9)
预报to forecast; forecastVerb3
预报说下午有阵雨，最好带把伞。The forecast says there will be showers in the afternoon, so you had better take an umbrella.
打雷to thunderVerb3
外面在打雷，孩子有点儿害怕。It is thundering outside, and the child is a little scared.
Thunder is "struck": 打了一个雷, there was a clap of thunder.
结冰to freeze overVerb3
天太冷了，湖面都结冰了。It is so cold that the surface of the lake has frozen over.
冻to freeze; to be frozenVerb3
我在外面等了半个小时，手都冻红了。I waited outside for half an hour, and my hands went red with the cold.
晒to be in the sun; to dry in the sun; to get sunburntVerb3
她在海边晒了一个下午，脸都红了。She spent the whole afternoon in the sun at the seaside, and her face went red.
淋to drench; to get soakedVerb3
下班时我被大雨淋湿了。On my way home from work I got soaked by the heavy rain.
降温to get colder; (of temperature) to dropVerb3
明天开始降温，记得多穿点儿衣服。It gets colder from tomorrow, so remember to wear more layers.
升温to get warmer; (of temperature) to riseVerb3
五月以后天气开始升温。After May the weather starts to get warmer.
变天(of the weather) to changeVerb3
刚才还是晴天，怎么突然变天了？It was sunny a moment ago; how has the weather suddenly turned?
Noun (22)
气候climateNoun3
我还不太习惯这里的气候。I am still not really used to the climate here.
The weather over years; the weather of today is 天气.
天气预报weather forecastNoun3
天气预报说明天有雨。The weather forecast says it will rain tomorrow.
气温air temperatureNoun3
今天的最高气温是三十度。The highest temperature today is thirty degrees.
The temperature of the air outside; 温度 is any temperature.
温差difference in temperatureNoun3
这里早上和中午的温差很大。Here there is a big difference in temperature between the morning and midday.
湿度humidityNoun3
夏天这里的湿度很高，衣服很难干。In summer the humidity here is high, and clothes take a long time to dry.
摄氏度degree CelsiusNoun3
水到一百摄氏度就开了。Water boils at a hundred degrees Celsius.
In speech usually just 度.
零下below zeroNoun3
昨天晚上零下十度。Last night it was minus ten degrees.
暴雨downpour; rainstormNoun3
暴雨来得很快，走得也很快。The downpour came quickly and went just as quickly.
Measure word: 场.
阵雨shower (of rain)Noun3
这几天总是有阵雨，一会儿下一会儿停。There have been showers these last few days: one moment it rains, the next it stops.
雷阵雨thundershowerNoun3
夏天的下午常常有雷阵雨。On summer afternoons there are often thundershowers.
闪电lightningNoun3
一道闪电照亮了整个天空。A flash of lightning lit up the whole sky.
Measure word: 道.
台风typhoonNoun3
台风来了，今天学校不上课。A typhoon has arrived, so there are no classes at school today.
雾fog; mistNoun3
早上的雾很大，开车要特别小心。The fog this morning is thick, so drive especially carefully.
Fog is "big", not thick: 雾很大.
雾霾smogNoun3
有雾霾的时候，很多人出门戴口罩。When there is smog, many people wear a mask when they go out.
霜frostNoun3
秋天的早上已经开始下霜了。On autumn mornings there is already frost.
Frost "comes down" like rain: 下霜.
彩虹rainbowNoun3
雨后天上出现了一道彩虹。After the rain a rainbow appeared in the sky.
Measure word: 道.
阳光sunshine; sunlightNoun3
今天阳光很好，我们去公园坐一会儿吧。The sun is lovely today; let’s go and sit in the park for a while.
雨衣raincoatNoun3
骑车的时候穿雨衣比打伞方便。On a bike, a raincoat is more practical than an umbrella.
Measure word: 件.
雨季rainy seasonNoun3
这里的雨季从六月到八月。The rainy season here lasts from June to August.
高温high temperature; heatNoun3
这几天一直是高温天气，中午最好别出门。It has been very hot for days, so it is best not to go out at midday.
冰雹hailNoun3
冰雹把菜地里的菜都打坏了。The hail ruined all the vegetables in the plot.
微风breezeNoun3
海边吹着微风，很舒服。A gentle breeze is blowing by the sea, and it is very pleasant.
Adjective (10)
温暖warm; mildAdjective3
南方的冬天比较温暖。Winters in the south are fairly mild.
More written than 暖和, and also used of a welcome or a feeling.
凉快pleasantly coolAdjective3
晚上下了一场雨，凉快多了。It rained in the evening, and now it is much cooler.
Always pleasant; cold that is unpleasant is 冷.
寒冷cold; frigidAdjective3
这个地方的冬天又长又寒冷。Winter in this place is long and bitterly cold.
Descriptive and written; in conversation people say 很冷.
炎热scorching hotAdjective3
七月是一年里最炎热的时候。July is the hottest time of the year.
Written; in conversation 很热.
闷热hot and stuffy; muggyAdjective3
要下雨之前，天气常常很闷热。Before it rains, the weather is often very muggy.
闷 in the first tone means stuffy; in the fourth tone it means bored or low.
潮湿damp; humidAdjective3
南方的春天又冷又潮湿。Spring in the south is cold and damp.
干燥dryAdjective3
北方的冬天很干燥，很少下雨。Winters in the north are dry, and it seldom rains.
晴朗clear; sunnyAdjective3
雨停了，天空又变得晴朗了。The rain has stopped, and the sky is clear again.
多云cloudyAdjective3
明天多云，不会下雨。Tomorrow will be cloudy, but it will not rain.
A forecast word: 晴, 多云 and 阴 run from clear to overcast.
