N5 Vocabulary: Nature & weather — 22 words with memory tricks
Nature & weather is full of beautiful pictographs (山 mountain, 川 river, 木 tree). This lesson gathers 22 words: weather, landscape, animals and colors.
01
天気
てんき
tenki
weather
💡 天 (sky) + 気 (energy) → weather. tenki.
いい天気ですね。It's nice weather, isn't it?
02
雨
あめ
ame
rain
💡 The kanji 雨 draws raindrops falling in the sky frame. ame.
雨が降っています。It is raining.
03
雪
ゆき
yuki
snow
💡 yuki = snow.
雪が降っています。It is snowing.
04
風
かぜ
kaze
wind, breeze
💡 kaze = wind.
風が強いです。The wind is strong.
05
晴れ
はれ
hare
clear (sunny) weather
💡 hare = clear / sunny.
今日は晴れです。Today is sunny.
06
曇り
くもり
kumori
cloudiness, cloudy weather
💡 kumori = cloudy (日 sun hidden by 雲 clouds).
今日は曇りです。Today is cloudy.
07
空
そら
sora
sky
💡 sora = sky (the kanji also means "empty").
空がとても青いです。The sky is very blue.
08
山
やま
yama
mountain
💡 山 pictures three mountain peaks. yama.
山に登ります。I climb mountains.
09
川; 河
かわ; かわ
kawa; kawa
river
💡 川 pictures three flowing streams. kawa = river.
川で泳ぎます。I swim in the river.
10
海
うみ
umi
sea, beach
💡 umi = sea.
夏に海へ行きました。I went to the sea in summer.
11
池
いけ
ike
pond
💡 ike = pond.
池に魚がいます。There are fish in the pond.
12
木
き
ki
tree, wood, timber
💡 木 pictures a tree with branches and roots. ki = tree / wood.
庭に大きな木があります。There is a big tree in the garden.
13
花
はな
hana
flower
💡 花 = flower (the 艹 grass radical on top). hana.
綺麗な花が咲きました。Beautiful flowers bloomed.
14
水
みず
mizu
water
💡 水 pictures flowing water. mizu.
水を飲みます。I drink water.
15
動物
どうぶつ
doubutsu
animal
💡 動 (move) + 物 (thing) → animal. dōbutsu.
動物園へ行きましょう。Let's go to the zoo.
16
犬
いぬ
inu
dog
💡 犬 = 大 (big) + a dot (a dog's ear). inu = dog.
私は犬を二匹飼っています。I have two dogs.
17
猫
ねこ
neko
cat
💡 neko = cat.
猫を飼いたいです。I want to have a cat.
18
鳥
とり
tori
chicken (lit., bird)
💡 鳥 pictures a bird. tori.
庭に鳥がいます。There is a bird in the garden.
19
色
いろ
iro
color
💡 iro = color.
あなたの好きな色は何ですか？What is your favorite color?
20
青
あお
ao
blue
💡 ao = blue (sometimes used for "green", e.g. a green traffic light 青信号).
青い海が見えます。I can see the blue sea.
21
赤
あか
aka
red
💡 aka = red.
信号が赤になりました。The traffic light turned red.
22
緑
みどり
midori
green
💡 midori = green.
緑色が好きです。I like green.
Memory tricks
- Pictographs — read them: 山 (three peaks), 川 (three streams), 木 (a tree), 雨 (raindrops), 花 (a flower).
- 天気 (weather) cluster: 晴れ (sunny), 曇り (cloudy), 雨 (rain), 雪 (snow), 風 (wind).
- Landscape kanji: 山 mountain, 川 river, 海 sea, 水 water, 木 tree, 花 flower.
- Colors: 色 color, 青 blue, 赤 red, 緑 green. Note: 青 (ao) is sometimes used for "green" (a green light is 青).
- Spaced repetition in Memoro.
→ See all N5 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 →