(2 entries)
かぜ
JLPT:N5
Frequency:

1Wind or breeze — the movement of air one feels outdoors, from a gentle breeze to a strong gust.

Noun

Examples

今日は風が強くて自転車に乗りづらい。

The wind is so strong today that it's hard to ride a bike.

窓を開けると涼しい風が入ってきた。

I opened the window and a cool breeze came in.

台風の風でたくさんの木が倒れた。

The typhoon's winds knocked down many trees.

2Used as "〜風" to indicate a style, manner, or vibe — roughly meaning "in the style of ~" or "~-like."

NounNoun (Prefix)

Examples

このカフェは北欧風の内装が人気だ。

This café's Scandinavian-style interior is popular.

彼は昭和風の言葉遣いをする。

He speaks with old-fashioned, Showa-era-style phrasing.

和風だしを使ったスープを作ってみた。

I tried making a soup using Japanese-style dashi.

3Occasionally written with just the single kanji 風 to mean "a cold" (i.e., 風邪), though 風邪 is by far the standard spelling.

Noun

Examples

彼は風をひいて声がかすれている。

He's caught a cold and his voice is hoarse.

風気味なので今日は早く休みます。

I'm feeling a bit under the weather, so I'll turn in early tonight.