How to Talk About the Weather 天气 (tiānqì) in Chinese

A Practical Guide to Chinese Weather Expressions

Weather is one of the most common topics in daily conversation. Whether you are chatting with friends, making small talk, or planning activities, talking about the weather is very useful.

In Chinese, discussing the weather is actually quite simple once you learn a few key patterns and vocabulary. In this guide, you will learn how to ask about the weather, describe temperature, and talk about seasons and rain in Chinese. 🌤️

1️⃣ Asking About the Weather

The most common way to ask about the weather in Chinese is:

Here, 天气 (tiānqì) means weather, and 怎么样 (zěnmeyàng) means how is it / what is it like.

You can also ask about the weather in a specific place:

💡 Structure

Location + 的 + 天气 + 怎么样？

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2️⃣ General Weather Responses

When someone asks about the weather, you can answer with simple descriptive sentences.

You can also be more specific:

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3️⃣ Talking About the Temperature

Another important part of weather conversations is temperature.

The word for temperature in Chinese is:

温度 (wēndù) – temperature

To ask about the temperature, you can say:

Or more formally:

Example responses:

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4️⃣ Celsius vs. Fahrenheit

In China, people normally use Celsius (摄氏度 shèshìdù) when talking about temperature.

Fahrenheit is called:

华氏度 (Huáshìdù)

For example:

0°C = 32°F

When the temperature is below zero, Chinese uses the expression:

零下 (língxià) – below zero

Example:

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5️⃣ The Four Seasons in Chinese

There are four seasons in a year.

春天 (chūntiān) – spring
夏天 (xiàtiān) – summer
秋天 (qiūtiān) – autumn / fall
冬天 (dōngtiān) – winter

Example sentence:

Another example:

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6️⃣ Basic Weather Vocabulary

Here are some very common weather expressions in Chinese.

晴天 (qíngtiān) – sunny
多云 (duōyún) – cloudy
下雨 (xiàyǔ) – rainy
下雪 (xiàxuě) – snowy
有风 (yǒu fēng) – windy

Example sentences:

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7️⃣ Different Types of Rain in Chinese

The general word for rain is:

雨 (yǔ) – rain

But Chinese also has many specific types of rain.

小雨 (xiǎoyǔ) – light rain
中雨 (zhōngyǔ) – moderate rain
阵雨 (zhènyǔ) – rain shower
雷阵雨 (léi zhènyǔ) – thunder shower
暴雨 (bàoyǔ) – heavy rain / torrential rain
雨天 (yǔtiān) – rainy day

Example:

Another example:

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🌦️ Key Takeaways

When talking about the weather in Chinese, remember these important points:

✅ Use 天气 (tiānqì) to talk about weather.
✅ Ask about the weather with 今天天气怎么样？
✅ Temperature is expressed with 度 (dù).
✅ China normally uses Celsius (摄氏度).
✅ Learn basic weather vocabulary like 晴天、下雨、下雪、多云.

Once you master these expressions, you will find that talking about the weather in Chinese becomes very easy and natural.

So next time you meet a Chinese friend, try starting a conversation with:

今天天气怎么样？ ☀️