Synonym Comparison
The Nuance Difference: "終わります" vs "曇る"
Master the exact conceptual boundary between these Japanese terms.
Japanese Term A
終わります
おわります (owarimasu)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Term B
曇る
くもる (kumoru)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
In Japanese, both 終わります and 曇る are often translated to English but have distinct usages.
終わります (おわります (owarimasu)) represents "to finish, to end" (Level: N5) and typically represents Intransitive verb. Used for events, tasks, or time periods coming to an end. Often paired with が..
On the other hand, 曇る (くもる (kumoru)) translates to "to become cloudy, to cloud over" (Level: N5) and is used for Describes the sky becoming cloudy. Opposite of 晴れる. Mixing these up can sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers!
Bilingual Sentence for "終わります"
授業は3時に終わります。
The class finishes at 3 o'clock.
Bilingual Sentence for "曇る"
今日は朝から曇っています。
It has been cloudy since this morning.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "授業は3時に ＿＿＿ 。" (Meaning: "The class finishes at 3 o'clock.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "終わります" fits here because it represents "to finish, to end" in the context: "The class finishes at 3 o'clock.".