Weather Small Talk in a Tokyo Park — JLPT N5 Japanese Conversation
The situation
Yattan (ヤッタン) is sitting on a bench in a Tokyo park waiting for her friend Mochi (モチ). Mochi arrives, and their teacher (先生) happens to walk past.
ヤッタン、おはよう！いい天気ですね。
ヤッタン、おはよう！いい てんきですね。
Yattan, morning! Nice weather, isn't it?
そうですね。今日は昨日より暑いですね。
そうですね。きょうは きのうより あついですね。
It is, isn't it. Today is hotter than yesterday.
本当に。私は暑い日より涼しい日が好きです。
ほんとうに。わたしは あつい ひより すずしい ひが すきです。
Really. I like cool days more than hot days.
私もです。あ、空を見て。雲が多いですね。
わたしもです。あ、そらを みて。くもが おおいですね。
Me too. Oh, look at the sky. There are a lot of clouds.
ええ。天気予報では、明日は雨でしょう。
ええ。てんきよほうでは、あしたは あめでしょう。
Yeah. According to the forecast, it'll probably rain tomorrow.
おはようございます。今日は本当に暑いですね。
おはようございます。きょうは ほんとうに あついですね。
Good morning. It really is hot today, isn't it?
先生、おはようございます！はい、蒸し暑いですね。
せんせい、おはようございます！はい、むしあついですね。
Sensei, good morning! Yes, it's hot and humid.
そうですね。傘を持っていますか。明日は雨でしょう。
そうですね。かさを もっていますか。あしたは あめでしょう。
It is. Do you have an umbrella? It'll probably rain tomorrow.
はい、大丈夫です。じゃあ、行きましょう。
はい、だいじょうぶです。じゃあ、いきましょう。
Yes, we're fine. Well then, let's go.
Key expressions
- 〜ですね — "~, isn't it?" The classic small-talk opener and agreement marker. 「いい天気ですね」 invites a chat; reply with 「そうですね」 to accept it. This ね softens the sentence and signals you expect the other person to feel the same.
- 〜でしょう — "probably ~ / it'll likely be ~." Used for a soft prediction: 「明日は雨でしょう」 ("it'll probably rain tomorrow"). It's exactly how the TV forecast phrases things. See 〜でしょう / 〜だろう: probably & seeking agreement.
- 〜より — "more than ~ / compared to ~." Marks the thing you're comparing against: 「昨日より暑い」 ("hotter than yesterday"), 「暑い日より涼しい日が好き」 ("I like cool days more than hot days"). See 〜より / 〜のほうが: comparing two things.
- 〜が好きです — "I like ~." Note the particle is が, not を: 「涼しい日が好きです」. To say you like it more, pair it with より as Mochi does.
About weather talk in Japan
In Japan, remarking on the weather is less "small talk" than a social reflex — it often replaces a plain greeting, which is why 「いい天気ですね」 or 「暑いですね」 can open a conversation with a neighbor, a shopkeeper, or your teacher. Summer brings the rainy season (梅雨, tsuyu) around June, followed by weeks of 蒸し暑い (mushiatsui, "hot and humid") days when everyone commiserates about the heat. Carrying a folding umbrella is normal, and the forecast phrase 「明日は雨でしょう」 is worth recognizing. One survival phrase for the season: 「傘を持っていますか」 ("Do you have an umbrella?").
Frequently asked questions
Is 〜ですね really just for agreeing?
It does more than that. 〜ですね softens a statement and invites the listener to share the feeling, which is why it works as both an opener ('いい天気ですね') and an agreement ('そうですね'). It's the backbone of Japanese small talk.
Why is it 好きが and not 好きを?
好き (suki) is a な-adjective, not a verb, so the thing you like is marked with が, not を: 涼しい日が好きです ('I like cool days'). This trips up a lot of beginners because English treats 'like' as a verb.
How do I say 'hot and humid'?
蒸し暑い (mushiatsui). Plain 'hot' is 暑い (atsui) for weather; 蒸し暑い adds the muggy, sticky feeling of a Japanese summer. For 'cool' use 涼しい (suzushii) and for 'cold' 寒い (samui).