Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 蒸し暑い | mushiatsui | [mɯ̟ɕia̠t͡sɨi] (narrow) |
| 湿気の多い | shikke no ōi | |
| 湿っぽい | shimeppoi | [ɕime̞p̚po̞i] (narrow) |
| 湿った | shimetta |
蒸し暑い is the most natural way to describe the uncomfortable, heavy air typical of a Japanese summer. 湿気の多い is used to describe a high level of moisture in the air, while 湿っぽい and 湿った describe things that are damp or moist.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 蒸し暑い is a compound of 蒸し (steamy/steamed) and 暑い (hot).
Which one should you use?
蒸し暑い specifically describes weather that is both hot and humid. In contrast, 湿っぽい describes something that is damp or moist without necessarily being hot. 湿った is used to describe the physical state of an object being damp or moist, such as 'wet clothes', rather than describing the weather or atmosphere.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase 湿気の多い uses the noun 湿気 (humidity/moisture) and the adjective 多い (many/much) to describe a high level of moisture in the air.
How do you pronounce it?
mushiatsui
Did you know?
- The word 湿っぽい can be used metaphorically to describe a person's mood or a conversation as 'damp', meaning it is gloomy, sentimental or lacking cheer.
- When Japanese people discuss the 'humid' rainy season in June, they use the term 梅雨 (tsuyu), which literally means 'plum rains'.
- When talking about a room that feels damp and unpleasant, Japanese speakers might use じめじめ (jime-jime), an onomatopoeic expression.
Examples in context
- 日本の夏は蒸し暑い。Japan is hot and humid in the summer.The sentence using 蒸し暑い is useful for describing the summer in Japan.Tatoeba #122496 by small_snow, translation #3316829 by CK
- 日本の夏は、蒸し暑い。Japan's summers are hot and humid.Tatoeba #11856069 by small_snow, translation #11915796 by end
- ここはすごく蒸し暑い。It's very humid here.The sentence using 蒸し暑い is useful for describing the humidity in a specific location.Tatoeba #12593104 by small_snow, translation #11953737 by ddnktr
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Misaki and Hiroto are walking home together in the summer.
- 美咲 Misaki今日は本当に蒸し暑いね。Kyō wa hontō ni mushiatsui ne.It's really humid today, isn't it?
- 大翔 Hirotoうん、汗が止まらないよ。Un, ase ga tomaranai yo.Yeah, I can't stop sweating.
- 美咲 Misaki早く冷たい飲み物を買いに行こう。Hayaku tsumetai nomimono o kai ni ikō.Let's go buy a cold drink quickly.
- 大翔 Hiroto賛成。あそこのコンビニに行こう。Sansei. Asoko no konbini ni ikō.I agree. Let's go to that convenience store.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “humid” translations and entries 蒸し暑い, 湿っぽい, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
