Translation guide
Ways to express extreme cold in Japanese, from weather descriptions to physical sensations.
Describing very cold weather or climate conditions.
A common and natural phrase for 'intense cold', often used in weather reports or daily conversation.
It's intensely cold today, isn't it?
Literally 'extreme cold', often used in formal or written contexts like weather forecasts.
It will be extremely cold tomorrow.
A more literary term for severe cold, used in formal writing or poetry.
Expressing the feeling of intense cold on the body.
Idiomatic phrase meaning 'cold that cuts through you', very natural for describing piercing cold.
It's bitterly cold outside.
Means 'freezing cold', emphasizing the sensation of being frozen.
It was so intensely cold that my hands went numb.
Refers to a deep, penetrating cold that chills you to the bone, often used for indoor cold in winter.
Referring to a sudden period of intense cold.
寒さ (samusa) refers to coldness of the air or environment (weather), while 冷たさ (tsumetasa) refers to coldness of objects or touch. For 'intense cold' as a weather concept, use 寒さ.
Today's cold is intense.
The coldness of this water is abnormal.
Avoid directly translating 'intense cold' as 強烈な寒さ (kyouretsu na samusa). While understandable, it sounds unnatural. Use the idiomatic phrases above instead.
厳寒の地での生活は過酷だ。
Life in a land of intense cold is harsh.
It's a penetrating cold tonight.
記録的な大寒波に見舞われた。
We were hit by a record-breaking intense cold snap.