Synonym Comparison
The Nuance Difference: "曇り" vs "寒い"
Master the exact conceptual boundary between these Japanese terms.
Japanese Term A
曇り
くもり (kumori)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Term B
寒い
さむい (samui)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
In Japanese, both 曇り and 寒い are often translated to English but have distinct usages.
曇り (くもり (kumori)) represents "cloudy weather" (Level: N5) and typically represents Refers to a state where the sky is covered with clouds. Often used as 曇りの日.
On the other hand, 寒い (さむい (samui)) translates to "cold (weather, air temperature)" (Level: N5) and is used for An i-adjective used to describe the air temperature or weather as cold. Not used for objects.. Mixing these up can sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers!
Bilingual Sentence for "曇り"
今日は一日中曇りでした。
It was cloudy all day today.
Bilingual Sentence for "寒い"
今日はとても寒いですね。
It's very cold today, isn't it?
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "今日は一日中 ＿＿＿ でした。" (Meaning: "It was cloudy all day today.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "曇り" fits here because it represents "cloudy weather" in the context: "It was cloudy all day today.".