小こ雨さめ

also: しょうう · こあめ

こ

さ

め

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

Refers to rain that is not heavy, typically with small drops and low intensity. The reading こさめ is the everyday term; しょうう is literary/formal, and こあめ is rare.

朝あさから小こ雨さめが降ふっている。
A light rain has been falling since morning.
小こ雨さめの中なかを散さん歩ぽするのは気き持もちがいい。
It's pleasant to take a walk in a drizzle.

See all 16 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

小こ雨さめが降ふるa light rain/drizzle falls
朝あさから小こ雨さめが降ふっている。
It has been drizzling since morning.
小こ雨さめの中なかを〈動どう詞し〉to do something in the drizzle
小こ雨さめの中なかを傘かさもささずに歩あるいた。
I walked in the drizzle without even opening an umbrella.
小こ雨さめになるfor the rain to turn into a light drizzle
午ご後ごには雨あめも小こ雨さめになるでしょう。
By the afternoon the rain will probably ease into a drizzle.
小こ雨さめが止やむfor the light rain to stop
小こ雨さめがようやく止やんだ。
The drizzle finally stopped.

Kanji

小little, small
雨rain

Related words

霧きり雨さめN1
霧雨 describes an even finer, mist-like rain than 小雨, which can still have small but distinct drops.

Opposites

大おお雨あめN3
大雨 refers to heavy, intense rain, the direct opposite of the light drizzle described by 小雨.
土ど砂しゃ降ぶりN1
小雨 describes a light, gentle rain, the opposite of the intense, pelting rain of 土砂降り.
豪ごう雨うN1
小雨 means light drizzling rain, the direct opposite of the torrential downpour described by 豪雨.

Don't confuse with

俄にわか雨あめN3
にわか雨 is a sudden, often brief shower that can be heavy, whereas 小雨 specifically means the rain is light in intensity.

Word family

晴はれ一いち時じ小こ雨さめ
clear with brief light rain

Written forms

小雨Usage100%
- こさめ
  Standard kanji spelling; the most common reading is こさめ.
- しょうう
  Rare on'yomi reading, mostly found in formal or literary contexts.
- こあめ
  Uncommon kun'yomi variant; こさめ is strongly preferred.
こあめ
しょうう

Etymology

Compound of 小 (small, little) and 雨 (rain). The reading こさめ is a kun'yomi combination; しょうう is the on'yomi reading, and こあめ is an alternate kun'yomi reading.