passing shower; sudden rain
A brief, often intense shower that starts and stops suddenly. Common in literary and poetic contexts.
After the passing shower moved through, a rainbow appeared in the sky.
In the afternoon, passing showers came and went repeatedly.
にわか雨 is a more common, everyday word for a sudden shower. 村雨 is more literary and often implies a brief, intense downpour that passes quickly.
夕立 specifically refers to a sudden evening shower, often in summer. 村雨 can occur at any time of day and is not tied to a season.
Most common kanji spelling, though the kanji are ateji (phonetic).
Kana spelling is common in everyday writing, especially when the ateji kanji are not needed.
Uncommon variant; 叢 means 'cluster' or 'thicket', suggesting a sudden downpour.
Rare variant; 群 means 'group', evoking a clustered shower.
From むら, indicating intermittent or uneven occurrence, and 雨 “rain.” The spelling 村雨 represents this native compound and evokes a shower that falls in scattered bursts.