Weather in Chinese: Temperature, Rain, Snow & Seasons

Weather is one of the most practical beginner topics: you hear it in small talk, use it when packing, and need it before travel. 天气 (tiānqì) means weather, and most sentences follow a simple subject + condition pattern such as 今天下雨 (it is raining today).

Core weather words

These words cover most forecasts and everyday conversations. Adjectives can stand alone as answers: 今天晴 means it is sunny today.

雨 is rain and 雪 is snow. 大雨 means heavy rain and 小雨 means light rain or drizzle. 暴雨 means torrential rain, 阵雨 means a shower and 雷阵雨 means a thunderstorm. 风力 means wind force, and 台风 means typhoon.

Asking about the weather

今天天气怎么样？ (How is the weather today?) is the standard opening. 明天天气怎么样？ asks about tomorrow, and 后天 asks about the day after tomorrow.

• 会下雨吗？Will it rain?
• 明天会下雨吗？Will it rain tomorrow?
• 外面冷吗？Is it cold outside?
• 现在多少度？What temperature is it now?
• 要带伞吗？Do I need an umbrella?

Notice that 下雨, 下雪 and 刮风 behave like verb phrases, while 晴, 阴 and 冷 are adjectives. Both patterns are common: 下雨了 (it started raining) and 今天很冷 (it is very cold today).

Temperature and degrees

度 (dù) means degree. 多少度？ asks the temperature, and 二十度 means 20 degrees. 零下 means below zero: 零下五度 is minus five degrees. 摄氏 (shèshì) is Celsius and 华氏 (huáshì) is Fahrenheit.

Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and most other Chinese-speaking regions use Celsius in daily weather reporting, while Fahrenheit is common in the United States. When someone gives a number, check which scale is being used rather than assuming: 是摄氏还是华氏？

高温 and 低温 mean high and low temperature in forecasts. 最高温度 and 最低温度 mean the day's high and low. 体感温度 means apparent or feels-like temperature, which can differ from the reported number.

Hot, cold and humid

热 means hot and 冷 means cold. 凉快 means pleasantly cool, 暖和 means warm, 闷热 means muggy and 潮湿 means humid or damp. 干燥 means dry.

又……又…… means both…and…: 又热又潮湿 (hot and humid). 越来越 means more and more: 天气越来越热 (the weather is getting hotter). 突然 means suddenly: 突然下雨了 (it suddenly started raining).

Seasons and time words

The four seasons are 春天 spring, 夏天 summer, 秋天 autumn and 冬天 winter. 季节 means season. Common time words include 今天 today, 明天 tomorrow, 后天 the day after tomorrow, 昨天 yesterday, 这周 this week and 这个月 this month.

Season sentences stay simple: 夏天很热 means summer is hot, and 冬天会下雪 means it snows in winter. Everyday weather talk usually does not need 有: 下雨 sounds more natural than 有雨, though forecasts may use 有雨 as a compact written form.

Regional patterns and forecast language

Climate and seasonal patterns differ enormously across Chinese-speaking regions. 梅雨 is the plum-rain season in parts of East Asia, 台风 affects coastal areas and 沙尘暴 means a sandstorm. A word that is common in one region may be rare in another.

Forecast language often uses short written forms: 有雨 (rain expected), 局部地区 (local areas), 转晴 (turning clear), 降水概率 (chance of precipitation) and 空气质量 (air quality). These appear in apps and news bulletins, not usually in conversation.

For safety decisions such as storms, flooding, heat warnings or typhoons, follow the official local warning and advice rather than a translated forecast sentence or a phrase list.

Common mistakes to check

• Saying 有雨 in conversation where 下雨 sounds more natural.
• Assuming every temperature number is Celsius or Fahrenheit.
• Confusing 凉快 (pleasantly cool) with 冷 (cold).
• Using 天气 with an object pattern copied from English.
• Assuming seasons and rainfall work the same way across regions.
• Relying on a translated forecast instead of official local warnings.