Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 寒い | samui | [sa̠mɯ̟i] (narrow) |
| 冷たい | tsumetai | [t͡sɨme̞ta̠i] (narrow) [t͡sɨbe̞ta̠i] (narrow) |
The word for cold depends on whether you are describing the ambient air temperature or the temperature of a specific object. 寒い is used for weather, the air or the general environment, such as a cold room. 冷たい is used for things that are cold to the touch, such as cold water or cold hands. Additionally, 冷たい can be used metaphorically to describe a person's personality as being cold or unsympathetic.
Which one should you use?
Use 寒い to describe the ambient air temperature or weather, such as a cold room or a cold day. Use 冷たい to describe the temperature of objects or things you touch, such as cold water or cold hands.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
samui
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use 冷たい to describe the weather. You should use 寒い instead when referring to ambient temperature.
Did you know?
- The word 寒い (samui) has a historical phonetic relationship with the word for 'lonely', 寂しい (sabishii), which was once pronounced 'samishii'.
- The word 冷たい (tsumetai) is thought to have evolved from a combination of the words for 'claw' and 'painful'.
- The word 冷たい (tsumetai) is used for things you touch, meaning you cannot use it to describe a 'cold wind' even though the wind is a physical thing.
Examples in context
- 冷たいなあ。That's a bit cold.This sentence uses 冷たい to express that something is a bit cold.Tatoeba #77673 by wat, translation #326045 by CM
- かなり寒い。It's pretty cold.This sentence uses 寒い to describe something that is quite cold.Tatoeba #226275 by arnab, translation #63615 by CK
- 外は寒いよ。It is cold outside.This sentence uses 寒い to state that it is cold outside.Tatoeba #3051171 by tommy_san, translation #2085301 by freddy1
- 273 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two people are standing at a bus stop in winter.
- 陽葵 Himari今日はすごく寒いね。Kyou wa sugoku samui ne.It's very cold today, isn't it?
- 大翔 Hirotoうん、本当に寒いよ。Un, hontou ni samui yo.Yeah, it really is cold.
- 陽葵 Himari風が冷たいね。Kaze ga tsumetai ne.The wind feels chilly.
- 大翔 Hiroto風邪を引かないようにね。Kaze o hikanai you ni ne.Be careful not to catch a cold.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cold” translations and entries 寒い, 冷たい, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 冷たい, 寒い, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
