嵐
[a̠ɾa̠ɕi]
arashi is the Japanese word for storm.
arashi refers to a storm characterized by strong winds and heavy rain. It can be used literally to describe weather conditions, or metaphorically to describe a period of great upheaval or turmoil, such as in one's personal life or in politics.
Did you know?
- The kanji 嵐 was originally borrowed from Middle Chinese, where the word originally referred to a mountain mist rather than a violent storm.
- For many people in Japan, the word arashi is instantly associated with music and idol culture because it is the name of one of the most successful boy bands in history.
- In Japanese, the word arashi is a general term for a storm, but a tropical cyclone is specifically called a taifū. Using arashi to describe a named typhoon would sound unnatural to a native speaker.
Examples in context
- 今日のあらしすごかったね！Today's storm was incredible!
- 嵐が来る。A storm is coming.
- 昨日は激しい嵐でした。kinou wa hageshii arashi deshita.Yesterday was a violent storm.
- 嵐のせいで電車が遅れています。arashi no sei de densha ga okurete imasu.The train is delayed because of the storm.
Example conversation
Two people are looking at a weather forecast on TV.
- 大翔 Hiroto明日は嵐になるみたいだね。Ashita wa arashi ni naru mitai da ne.It looks like there will be a storm tomorrow.
- 陽葵 Himari本当だ。外出できないね。Hontō da. Gaishutsu dekinai ne.You're right. We won't be able to go out.
- 大翔 Hiroto嵐の日は家でゆっくりしよう。Arashi no hi wa ie de yukkuri shiyō.Let's just relax at home on the storm day.
- 陽葵 Himariそうしましょう、大翔さん。Sō shimashō, Hiroto-san.Let's do that, Hiroto.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 嵐, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 嵐, CC BY-SA 4.0.
