とても寒い
totemo samui
The Japanese phrase for "very cold" is とても寒い (totemo samui).
とても寒い is used to describe air or weather that has a very low temperature. When you want to describe an object that feels cold to the touch, you should use tsumetai instead of samui.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the adverb totemo (very) and the i-adjective samui (cold).
Which one should you use?
To say "very hot" (referring to weather), replace samui with atsui to say とても暑い.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Adding desu to the end of totemo samui makes the phrase polite and suitable for most social situations. For a more formal expression, you can use Totemo samui desu. If you wish to say it is "extremely" or "exceptionally" cold in a formal way, use Kyou wa hijou ni samui desu.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express that it was very cold in the past, change the adjective ending to samukatta.
How do you pronounce it?
totemo samui
Did you know?
- Japanese has a specific word samu-garu to describe someone else appearing to be cold, as you cannot definitively know another person's internal feelings.
- The word samui can be used as a slang term to describe a joke or a social interaction that is 'cold' or fails to land with an audience.
- While totemo is the standard way to say 'very', using mecha instead makes the phrase extremely casual. You might hear teenagers say mecha samui to express that it is 'super cold'.
Examples in context
- 夜はとても寒い。During the night it's very cold.This sentence shows how to describe the temperature during the night using とても寒い.Tatoeba #8623907 by small_snow, translation #7922911 by AlanF_US
- 今朝はとても寒い。It is very cold this morning.This sentence uses とても寒い to describe the temperature this morning.Tatoeba #172290 by tommy__san, translation #242184 by CK
- とても寒いですね。I feel very cold.This sentence shows how to use とても寒い to express that you feel very cold.Tatoeba #200627 by bunbuku, translation #37828 by CK
- 13 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Misaki and Yota are walking to school in winter.
- 美咲 Misaki今日はとても寒いね。Kyō wa totemo samui ne.It's very cold today, isn't it?
- 陽太 Yota本当だね。風が強いよ。Hontō da ne. Kaze ga tsuyoi yo.It really is. The wind is strong.
- 美咲 Misakiコートを着てきてよかった。Kōto o kite kite yokatta.I'm glad I wore a coat.
- 陽太 Yota僕も。とても寒いからね。Boku mo. Totemo samui kara ne.Me too. Because it's very cold.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
