風
kaze[ka̠ze̞]
The English word "wind" is translated into Japanese as 風 (kaze).
風 is a basic and widely used term referring to the natural movement of air. It is important to note that while 風 refers to wind, the word for a cold or the flu is 風邪, which is pronounced the same way but uses different kanji.
Meaning: movement of air (noun)
Which one should you use?
風 is the standard term for wind, whereas 強風 (kyōfū) is a more formal or technical term specifically meaning "strong wind" and is frequently used in weather reports.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When the wind is the subject performing an action, such as blowing or calming, it is frequently followed by the particle が (ga), as in 風が (kaze ga).
How do you pronounce it?
kaze
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful not to confuse the word for wind, 風, with the word for a cold or flu, 風邪, as they are different words despite having the same pronunciation.
Did you know?
- Japanese uses a specific kanji 風 as a suffix to mean 'in the style of' or 'appearing like' something.
- Japanese culture associates the 'wind' with the spirit or mood of a place through the concept of 風情 (fuzei).
- The kanji for 'wind' 風 was used in the 8th century as a phonetic symbol to represent the sounds 'pu' and 'bu' in the Nihon Shoki.
Examples in context
- 風が和らいだ。The wind calmed down.This sentence shows how to describe the wind calming down using 風.Tatoeba #84033 by tommy_san, translation #1771 by CK
- 風が静まった。The wind has died down.This sentence shows how to describe the wind dying down using 風.Tatoeba #84039 by bunbuku, translation #319659 by CK
- 風が治まった。The wind has calmed down.Tatoeba #84048 by wat, translation #319669 by CK
- 明日は風が強いですね。Tomorrow will be windy, won't it?
- 海辺で心地よい風を感じました。I felt a pleasant breeze at the beach.
- 161 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple is walking in a park on a breezy afternoon.
- 大翔 Hiroto風が心地いいですね。Kaze ga kokochiii desu ne.The wind feels nice, doesn't it?
- 美咲 Misakiはい、とても気持ちいいです。Hai, totemo kimochiii desu.Yes, it feels very good.
- 大翔 Hiroto美咲さんは風が苦手ですか？Misaki-san wa kaze ga nigate desu ka?Misaki, do you dislike the wind?
- 美咲 Misakiいえ、大好きですよ。Ie, daisuki desu yo.No, I love it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “wind” translations and entries 風, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 風, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
