梅雨つゆの走はしり

Meanings

rainy spells just before the rainy season

Refers to the intermittent rain that falls in the period leading up to the official start of the rainy season (tsuyu) in Japan, typically in late May to early June.

今年ことしは梅雨つゆの走はしりが早はやくて、もう雨あめの日ひが続つづいている。
This year the pre-rainy-season rains came early, and we've already had a string of rainy days.
梅雨つゆの走はしりで洗せん濯たく物ものが乾かわかない。
Because of the pre-rainy-season rain, the laundry won't dry.

Kanji

梅plum
雨rain
走run

Related words

梅雨つゆ
梅雨 is the actual rainy season, while 梅雨の走り refers to the rain that falls just before it officially begins.
走はしり
走り here means 'beginning' or 'first signs', not 'running'. It is used in other seasonal expressions like 秋の走り (early signs of autumn).

Built from

梅雨つゆ+走はしる

Written forms

梅雨つゆの走はしり
Standard kanji spelling for this seasonal expression.
梅雨つゆのはしり
Kana-mixed spelling; the kanji 走り is replaced by hiragana, which is also seen in practice.

Etymology

Compound of 梅雨 (tsuyu, 'rainy season') + の (possessive particle) + 走り (hashiri, 'first signs, beginning'). The word 走り derives from the verb 走る (hashiru, 'to run'), metaphorically extended to mean the first appearance or onset of something.