Key Facts
- Korean: 날씨, Revised Romanization nalssi
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: native Korean
- Register: neutral everyday word
- Described with adjectives: 좋다, 춥다, 덥다
Weather in Korean: What Does 날씨 Mean?
날씨 means the weather on a given day. Long-term climate is a different word, 기후.
How Do You Pronounce 날씨?
Say nal-ssi, two syllables. The ㅆ is a tense s, sharper than an English s, and the vowel after it is a clear "ee".
Example Sentences with 날씨
오늘 날씨가 좋아요.
Oneul nalssiga joayo.
The weather is nice today.
오늘 means "today", and 좋아요 means "is nice".
날씨가 추워요.
Nalssiga chuwoyo.
The weather is cold.
추워요 means "is cold", from 춥다.
내일 날씨는 어때요?
Naeil nalssineun eottaeyo?
How will the weather be tomorrow?
내일 means "tomorrow", and 어때요 asks "how is it".
Phrases with 날씨
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 날씨가 좋다 | the weather is nice |
| 날씨가 나쁘다 | the weather is bad |
| 날씨 예보 | weather forecast |
| 날씨가 흐리다 | the weather is cloudy |
These pairs show the pattern: 날씨가 plus an adjective.
A Common Mistake with 날씨
- Wrong: 날씨가 많아요
- Correct: 날씨가 좋아요 or 날씨가 추워요
Weather is not counted. Describe it with an adjective such as 좋다, 춥다 or 덥다.
날씨 Compared with 기후 and 기온
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 날씨 | weather | Day-to-day conditions |
| 기후 | climate | Long-term pattern |
| 기온 | air temperature | The temperature figure |
Before a Picnic: Checking the Forecast
Two coworkers have planned a picnic for tomorrow. They check the weather before deciding whether to bring an umbrella.
Mina
내일 날씨는 어때요?
Naeil nalssineun eottaeyo?
How will the weather be tomorrow?
Alex
오후에 비가 온대요.
Ohue biga ondaeyo.
They say it will rain in the afternoon.
Mina
그럼 우산을 가져갈까요?
Geureom usaneul gajyeogalkkayo?
Then shall we bring an umbrella?
Alex
네, 우산을 가져가요.
Ne, usaneul gajyeogayo.
Yes, let’s bring an umbrella.
The forecast answer names a condition directly: 비가 오다 means “to rain”, literally “rain comes”. 온대요 reports something the speaker has heard or read. 오후에 narrows the forecast to the afternoon, so the answer gives more useful information than simply calling tomorrow’s weather bad.
How Do You Answer a Question about 날씨?
날씨가 좋아요 gives a positive overall impression: the weather is nice. It does not specify the temperature or guarantee a completely clear sky. If someone needs to choose clothes or plan an outdoor activity, a more specific description is useful.
날씨가 더워요 means the weather is hot, and 날씨가 추워요 means it is cold. With water, 차가워요 describes coldness to the touch. For cold outdoor weather, 추워요 is the natural choice. Keeping this pair apart helps you move between ordering a drink and describing a winter day.
비가 와요 means it is raining, and 눈이 와요 means it is snowing. These sentences name the rain or snow as their subject, so they do not need 날씨가 at the beginning. Korean can answer a question about weather without repeating the weather noun.
바람이 불어요 means the wind is blowing. Here wind takes 불어요 rather than the 오다 used with rain and snow. Learn the small pairings as units: rain comes, snow comes, wind blows. A list of weather nouns alone will not show you how to make these sentences.
Where Will You See 날씨?
A phone app may have a 날씨 tab showing the day’s conditions. Forecasts also use 일기 예보 for “weather forecast”. You can recognize that phrase alongside 날씨 예보 without treating 일기 as a diary in this setting; the forecast context selects the meaning.
A temperature figure tells you the 기온. Rain timing, cloud cover and wind are separate details within the wider 날씨 report. A warm day can still be rainy, so a temperature number alone may not answer someone asking whether a picnic will work.
In everyday small talk, 오늘 날씨가 좋네요 comments on pleasant weather the speaker is noticing. The ending 네요 adds that sense of observation. It can open a conversation without asking the other person for a detailed forecast. The word 날씨 itself stays neutral with friends, neighbors and coworkers.
Words to Understand a Forecast
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 비 | rain | Use 비가 오다 for rain falling. |
| 눈 | snow | Use 눈이 오다 for snowfall. |
| 바람 | wind | Pairs with 불다, to blow. |
| 우산 | umbrella | Useful when rain changes your plans. |
| 기온 | air temperature | The measured temperature rather than all weather conditions. |
The weather vocabulary lesson teaches conditions and seasons together. On this page, focus on the difference between asking generally about 날씨 and naming the particular condition that answers the question.
Quick Self-Test
- Which word means long-term climate: 날씨 or 기후?
- What does 비가 와요 tell you?
- Is 추워요 or 차가워요 the usual choice for cold outdoor weather?
Show answers
- 기후 means climate; 날씨 means day-to-day weather.
- It is raining.
- 추워요 is the usual choice for cold weather.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do You Say Weather in Korean?
Say 날씨 (nalssi). It is the native everyday word for the day-to-day weather and one of the most common small-talk topics in Korea. Describe it with an adjective: 날씨가 좋아요, "the weather is nice", or 날씨가 추워요, "it's cold".
How Do You Ask about the Weather in Korean?
Ask 날씨가 어때요?, "How's the weather?", or for tomorrow, 내일 날씨는 어때요?. 어때요 means "how is it". To check the forecast yourself, look for 날씨 예보, the weather forecast, in apps, news broadcasts and on portal sites.
What Is the Difference between 날씨 and 기후?
날씨 is the weather on a particular day: sunny, rainy, cold. 기후 is climate, the long-term pattern of a region, such as Korea's four distinct seasons. Talk about today with 날씨 and about a country or region over years with 기후.
How Do You Say "the Weather Is Bad" in Korean?
Use the pattern 날씨가 나쁘다, "the weather is bad", conjugated with the polite ending in conversation. For grey, overcast weather, the pattern is 날씨가 흐리다. These adjectives, together with 좋다 for nice weather, cover most everyday weather small talk before you learn specific words for rain or snow.
Related Words and Next Steps
- See the nature weather word list.
- Find more single words like weather in the Korean words A to Z index.
- Start with rain.
- Review weather (날씨) with the vocabulary flashcard decks.