季節
kisetsu[kʲi̥se̞t͡sɨ]
The English word 'season' can be translated into Japanese as 季節 (kisetsu). Wiktionary also lists 折節 (orifushi).
Meaning: quarter of a year (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 季節 | kisetsu | [kʲi̥se̞t͡sɨ] (narrow) |
| 折節 | orifushi | [o̞ɾʲiɸɯ̟ɕi] (narrow) |
The term 季節 refers to a quarter of a year. You can also use the related form 季節感 to describe a feeling or sense of a particular season.
Which one should you use?
季節 (kisetsu) is the standard, everyday word for 'season'. In contrast, 折節 (orifushi) is a highly literary and archaic term used primarily in classical poetry or formal literature.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
kisetsu
Did you know?
- In Japanese business etiquette, the first paragraph of a formal letter must include a 季節の挨拶, a specific greeting that references the exact atmospheric conditions of the current 季節.
- While English speakers talk about 'the season' for sports, Japanese people often use the word 旬 (shun) to describe the peak season of a specific food, such as a fish or fruit.
- In traditional Japanese poetry like haiku, a 季語 or 'season word' is a mandatory reference to a specific season, often using a creature or plant as a coded signal.
Examples in context
- イチゴの季節です。It's strawberry season.This sentence is useful for indicating the period when strawberries are in season using 季節.Tatoeba #8599848 by small_snow, translation #5107359 by AlanF_US
- スキーの季節です。It's the ski season.This sentence is useful for stating the ski season using 季節.Tatoeba #10635149 by small_snow, translation #10625114 by Hybrid
- 春は花の季節ですね。Spring is the season of flowers.This sentence is useful for describing spring as the season of flowers using 季節.Tatoeba #11821438 by small_snow, translation #11814035 by taro
- 春の季節に花が咲きます。Flowers bloom in the spring season.
- 自然の移り変わりに四季が現れる。The four seasons appear in the natural transition.
- 梅雨の時期は雨が多いです。The rainy season has a lot of rain.
- この絵は秋の季節感が上手く表現されています。This painting skillfully expresses the sense of autumn.
- 35 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ren and Misaki are talking about their favorite time of year.
- 蓮 Ren一番好きな季節は何ですか？Ichiban suki na kisetsu wa nan desu ka?What is your favorite season?
- 美咲 Misaki私は秋が一番好きです。Watashi wa aki ga ichiban suki desu.I like autumn the best.
- 蓮 Renいいですね。秋は景色が綺麗です。Ii desu ne. Aki wa keshiki ga kirei desu.That's nice. The scenery is beautiful in autumn.
- 美咲 Misakiそうですね。蓮さんは？Sou desu ne. Ren-san wa?It is. How about you, Ren?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “season” translations and entries 季節, 折節, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
