雹
hyō[ço̞ː]
The English word 'hail' is translated into Japanese as 雹 (hyō). Wiktionary also lists 霰 (arare).
Meaning: balls of ice (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 雹 | hyō | [ço̞ː] (narrow) |
| 霰 | arare | [a̠ɾa̠ɾe̞] (narrow) |
In Japanese, the term for hail depends on the size of the ice pellets. The word 雹 is the standard meteorological term used in weather reports and refers to larger, often destructive hail. For smaller, pea-sized hail, the word 霰 is used.
Which one should you use?
The distinction between the two forms is based on size: use 霰 (arare) for small, pea-sized hail and 雹 (hyō) for larger, more impactful hail.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the action of hailing, combine the noun with the verb meaning 'to fall'. For example, use 雹が降る (hyō ga furu) to say 'it is hailing'.
How do you pronounce it?
hyō
Did you know?
- Japanese confectionery includes a traditional sweet called 霰 (arare), which are small, crisp rice crackers shaped like the small hail pellets that inspired the name.
- The word for large hail, 雹 (hyō), is believed to be derived from the word for ice, 氷 (hyō), showing a direct linguistic link between frozen rain and solid ice.
- In Japanese weather terminology, 霰 (arare) is often used to describe graupel, which is softer and snowier than the hard ice of 雹 (hyō).
Examples in context
- 雨が雹に変わった。The rain turned to hail.This sentence shows how rain can transition into 雹.Tatoeba #11310770 by small_snow, translation #9453337 by CK
- 雹で死ぬなんてとんだ誤算よ。Dying because of… hail? Now that's a miscalculation and a half.This sentence illustrates the potential danger or miscalculation involving 雹.Tatoeba #10156823 by Sim5634, translation #10765287 by end
- 雹が降るのを見たことがありますか。Have you ever seen it hail?This sentence is a way to ask if someone has experience seeing 雹 fall.Tatoeba #77062 by arnab, translation #326657 by CK
Example conversation
A young couple is watching a sudden storm from their window.
- 陽太 Yota見て、雹が降ってきたよ。Mite, hyō ga futte kita yo.Look, hail has started to fall.
- 陽葵 Himari本当ね、すごい大きさの雹よ。Hontō ne, sugoi ookisa no hyō yo.You're right, the hail is huge.
- 陽太 Yota車に当たると痛そうだね。Kuruma ni ataru to itasō da ne.It looks like it would hurt if it hit the car.
- 陽葵 Himari陽太、窓から離れてね。Yōta, mado kara hanarete ne.Yōta, please step away from the window.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hail” translations and entries 雹, 霰, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 雹, 霰, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
