木こ枯がらし

こ

が

ら

し

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

cold wintry wind; winter wind that strips trees bare

Specifically refers to a strong, cold wind in late autumn to early winter that blows leaves off trees. Often used in poetry and seasonal descriptions.

木こ枯がらしが吹ふき荒あれる夜よるだった。
It was a night when a cold wintry wind was raging.
木こ枯がらしが街まちの落おち葉ばを舞まい上あげた。
The winter wind sent the fallen leaves dancing through the streets.

See all 13 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

木こ枯がらしが吹ふくthe wintry wind blows
冷つめたい木こ枯がらしが吹ふき始はじめた。
The cold wintry wind has begun to blow.
木こ枯がらしに吹ふかれるto be blown by the wintry wind
木こ枯がらしに吹ふかれて葉はが舞まい散ちった。
The leaves scattered, blown by the wintry wind.
木こ枯がらしの季き節せつthe season of the wintry wind
もうすぐ木こ枯がらしの季き節せつがやってくる。
The season of the wintry wind is coming soon.

Kanji

木tree, wood
枯wither, die, dry up
凩wintry wind, (kokuji)

Related words

北きた風かぜN1
北風 is the general term for a cold north wind, while 木枯らし specifically names the sharp, leaf-stripping wind that marks the onset of winter.
寒かん風ぷう
寒風 is a formal, literary word for any biting cold wind, whereas 木枯らし is tied specifically to the late-autumn/early-winter wind that bares the trees.
秋あき風かぜN1
秋風 describes a mild, refreshing autumn wind, whereas 木枯らし is a much colder, stronger wind that strips leaves, marking the shift into winter.

Word family

木こ枯がらし１いち号ごう
first wintry wind of autumn

Written forms

木こ枯がらしUsage57%
Standard kanji spelling with high priority.
木枯こがらしUsage18%
Variant spelling without the okurigana ら; also common.
木枯こがらしUsage15%
search-only kanji form
Search-only abbreviated form; not normally used in writing.
凩こがらしUsage10%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used single-character form (国字).

Etymology

Compound of 木 (tree) and 枯らし (from 枯らす, to wither). The wind that makes trees bare. The single-character form 凩 is a 国字 (kokuji) created in Japan.