台風
taifū[ta̠iɸɯ̟ː]
The Japanese word for typhoon is 台風 (taifū).
The term refers to a hurricane in the Pacific. 台風 is the most common and straightforward term used to describe this weather phenomenon.
Meaning: hurricane in the Pacific (noun)
Which one should you use?
タイフーン is a katakana rendering of the English word typhoon.
How do you pronounce it?
taifū
Did you know?
- Long before the modern term was adopted, people used the word 野分き, which literally means 'field-splitter' due to the way the winds destroyed crops.
Examples in context
- 台風が来てます。A typhoon is coming.This sentence shows how to state that a typhoon is coming using 台風.Tatoeba #10227774 by small_snow, translation #6815128 by CC
- 台風が来てるって。I heard that a typhoon is coming.This sentence uses 台風 to express that you heard a typhoon is coming.Tatoeba #10227780 by small_snow, translation #6348879 by CK
- 台風で川が氾濫した。The typhoon caused the river to flood.This sentence describes a river flooding due to a typhoon using 台風.Tatoeba #137805 by bunbuku, translation #275431 by CK
- 今日は台風が来るから、気をつけてください。Please be careful today because a typhoon is coming.
- 57 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends discussing the weather while looking at a news report.
- 美咲 Misaki次の台風はいつ来るのかな？Tsugi no taifuu wa itsu kuru no kana?I wonder when the next typhoon will arrive?
- 大翔 Hirotoニュースによると、明日の午後だよ。Nyuusu ni yoru to, ashita no gogo dayo.According to the news, it's tomorrow afternoon.
- 美咲 Misaki大翔くん、準備は大丈夫？Hiroto-kun, junbi wa daijoubu?Hiroto, are you prepared?
- 大翔 Hirotoうん、窓もしっかり閉めておくよ。Un, mado mo shikkari shimete oku yo.Yeah, I'll make sure to close the windows tightly.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “typhoon” translations and entries 台風, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 台風, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
