N4 Vocabulary: Nature & weather — 24 words with memory tricks
N4 nature words are mostly single pictographic kanji (日 月 星 火 石 砂 草 虫 葉 枝) — easy to picture, but read with native Japanese sounds (hi, tsuki, hoshi…) rather than Chinese-style ones. Around them sit weather and disaster compounds (台風 typhoon, 地震 earthquake, 天気予報 forecast). 24 words, grouped by sky, disasters, land and water, plants.
01
日
ひ
hi
sun, sunshine, day
💡 日 = sun, day. hi — a boxed window with a line inside. Also 日本 (Japan).
02
月
つき
tsuki
moon
💡 月 = moon, month. tsuki — a crescent shape. 一月 = January.
03
星
ほし
hoshi
star
💡 日 (sun) above + 生 (to be born) below → what is born in the sky = star. hoshi.
04
雲
くも
kumo
cloud
💡 雨 (rain) on top → the thing that makes rain = cloud. kumo.
05
空気
くうき
kūki
air, atmosphere
💡 空 (sky, empty) + 気 (spirit, air) → air, atmosphere. kūki. Idiom: 空気を読む = read the room.
06
光
ひかり
hikari
light
💡 光 = light. hikari; the verb 光る (hikaru) = to shine.
07
火
ひ
hi
fire
💡 火 = fire — a figure with arms out beside a flame. hi. 火曜日 = Tuesday.
08
天気予報
てんきよほう
tenki yohō
weather forecast
💡 天気 (weather) + 予報 (forecast) → weather forecast. tenki yohō.
09
台風
たいふう
taifū
typhoon
💡 台風 = typhoon — the English word comes from this same root. taifū.
10
地震
じしん
jishin
earthquake
💡 地 (earth) + 震 (shake; note the 雨 on top) → earthquake. jishin.
11
島
しま
shima
island
💡 島 = island. shima; ~jima/~shima in names, e.g. 広島 (Hiroshima).
12
湖
みずうみ
mizuumi
lake
💡 湖 = lake. Read mizuumi = 水 (water) + 海 (sea) → "a sea of water". On-reading ko: 琵琶湖.
13
海岸
かいがん
kaigan
coast, seashore
💡 海 (sea) + 岸 (shore) → coast, seashore. kaigan.
14
坂
さか
saka
slope, hill
💡 土 (earth) + 反 (tilt) → tilted ground = slope. saka. Its cousin 阪 appears in 大阪 (Osaka).
15
石
いし
ishi
stone
💡 石 = stone. ishi. Also in 石油 (petroleum).
16
砂
すな
suna
sand
💡 石 (stone) + 少 (few, small) → tiny stones = sand. suna.
17
林
はやし
hayashi
woods, forest
💡 Two 木 (trees) → woods. hayashi.
18
森
もり
mori
forest
💡 Three 木 (trees) → a dense forest, bigger than 林. mori.
19
枝
えだ
eda
branch, twig
💡 木 (tree) + 支 (support) → branch, twig. eda.
20
葉
は
ha
leaf
💡 葉 = leaf. ha. Also in 紅葉 (kōyō, autumn leaves) and 言葉 (kotoba, words).
21
草
くさ
kusa
grass
💡 The 艹 grass radical on top → grass. kusa.
22
虫
むし
mushi
insect
💡 虫 = insect, bug. mushi.
23
景色
けしき
keshiki
scenery, landscape
💡 景 (view) + 色 (colour) → scenery. Irregular reading: keshiki.
24
花見
はなみ
hanami
cherry-blossom viewing
💡 花 (flower) + 見る (to see) → cherry-blossom viewing in spring. hanami.
Memory tricks
- Count the trees: 木 (one tree) → 林 (two trees = woods, hayashi) → 森 (three trees = forest, mori). A picture you never forget.
- Sky words double as calendar words: 日 = sun and day; 月 = moon and month. That is why 三日 is "the 3rd" and 三月 is "March".
- Homophone alert: 日 (sun/day) and 火 (fire) are both read hi. Tell them apart by shape: 日 is a boxed window, 火 is a person with arms out beside a flame.
- Radicals do the work: 雲 (cloud) and 震 (quake) both carry 雨 (rain) on top; 砂 = 石 (stone) + 少 (few) → tiny stones = sand; 草 wears the grass radical 艹.
- Two irregular readings: 景色 is keshiki (not keishoku) and 湖 is mizuumi — literally 水 (water) + 海 (sea). Lock the readings in with spaced repetition in Memoro.
→ See all N4 Nature & weather vocabulary
Learn faster with Memoro — a pixel-styled flashcard app: spaced repetition reminds you at the right time, AI drafts decks on request. Free.
Start learning now →