夏
natsu[na̠t͡sɨ]
The English word "summer" is translated into Japanese as 夏 (natsu). Wiktionary also lists 夏季 (kaki).
Meaning: hottest season (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 夏 | natsu | [na̠t͡sɨ] (narrow) [ɡe̞] (narrow) |
| 夏季 | kaki | [ka̠kʲi] (narrow) [na̠t͡sɨkʲi] (narrow) |
夏 refers to the hottest season of the year. It is frequently combined with 休み (rest/holiday) to form 夏休み, which is the standard term for summer break/vacation. Adding the kanji 真 (meaning 'true' or 'pure') to the front of 夏 creates 真夏, which refers specifically to the height of summer or midsummer.
Which one should you use?
While 夏 (natsu) is the common word for summer, 夏季 (kaki) is a more formal or technical term often used in official contexts like 'summer vacation period' or 'summer season' in business/academic settings.
How do you pronounce it?
natsu
Did you know?
- The character 夏 was used in the 8th-century poetry collection Man'yōshū as a phonetic symbol to represent the sound 'ge'.
- Japanese has a specific word 夏越の祓 (nago-shi no harae) for a ritual performed in June to cast away misfortunes and pray for health during the summer.
- The concept of 'summer' is often associated with the word 風鈴 (fūrin), or wind chimes, which are hung to create a psychological feeling of coolness through sound.
Examples in context
- 夏は過ぎた。The summer is over.This sentence uses 夏 to indicate that the summer has passed.Tatoeba #187205 by small_snow, translation #24342 by CK
- 夏は終わった。Summer is gone.This sentence uses 夏 to show that summer is gone.Tatoeba #187201 by bunbuku, translation #24338 by sundown
- 夏が終わった。Summer is over.This sentence uses 夏 to express that summer is over.Tatoeba #9808994 by bunbuku, translation #394438 by doviende
- Kono natsu wa omoshiroi adventure ni narimasu yo! (この夏は面白いアドベンチャーになりますよ！)This summer will be an exciting adventure!
- Minna de natsu matsuri ni ikitai na. (みんなで夏祭りに行きたいな。)I want to go to the summer festival with everyone.
- 440 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ren and Himari are talking about their vacation plans.
- 蓮 Ren今年の夏はどこへ行きますか。Kotoshi no natsu wa doko e ikimasu ka.Where are you going this summer?
- 陽葵 Himari私は北海道に行きたいです。Watashi wa Hokkaido ni ikitai desu.I want to go to Hokkaido.
- 蓮 Ren北海道は夏でも涼しいですね。Hokkaido wa natsu demo suzushii desu ne.Hokkaido is cool even in summer, isn't it?
- 陽葵 Himariはい、だからおすすめなんです。Hai, dakara osusume nan desu.Yes, that is why I recommend it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “summer” translations and entries 夏, 夏季, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 夏, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
