雨 — Kanji Meaning, Readings & Example Words (JLPT N5)
What it means
At its heart, 雨 means rain. Picture the shape: a flat sky on top with little dashes falling inside — those are the raindrops. You'll meet 雨 most often on its own as the word for "rain" (あめ), but it also shows up inside lots of weather and water words: 大雨 "heavy rain," 小雨 "light rain," 雨天 "rainy weather," and 雨水 "rainwater." Whenever you see 雨 in a new word, you can safely bet it has something to do with rain or wet weather — an instant clue to the meaning.
Readings
| Type | Reading | Used in |
|---|---|---|
| kun'yomi | あめ | 雨 (rain), 大雨 (おおあめ, heavy rain) |
| kun'yomi | あま- | 雨水 (あまみず, rainwater), 雨雲 (あまぐも, rain cloud) |
| kun'yomi | -さめ | 小雨 (こさめ, light rain) |
| on'yomi | ウ | 雨天 (うてん, rainy weather) |
The main reading to lock in is the kun'yomi あめ, which is the standalone word for "rain." Two things make 雨 a little special, though. First, the kun'yomi shifts to あま- when 雨 is a prefix in some compounds (雨水 = あまみず, 雨雲 = あまぐも). Second, after another word it can soften to -さめ (小雨 = こさめ). The on'yomi ウ is reserved for stiffer Sino-Japanese compounds like 雨天.
One reading to flag now: 梅雨, "the rainy season," is read つゆ — not あめ or ウ at all. That's a jukujikun, a reading attached to the whole word rather than to either character. Just memorize 梅雨 = つゆ as a set.
Stroke order & radical
- Strokes: 8. Write the top horizontal line first, then the outer frame (the vertical stroke and the box that forms the "sky"), and finally the four little raindrops inside, left-to-right, top-to-bottom.
- Radical: 雨 is its own radical, the "rain" radical (あめ / あめかんむり). It usually sits as a "crown" on top of other kanji, where it signals weather or sky. You'll see it capping 雪 (snow), 雲 (cloud), and 電 (electricity / lightning).
Recognizing that crown is genuinely handy: meet a new kanji with 雨 sitting on top and you can already guess it's about weather or the sky.
Common words using 雨
Notice all three kun'yomi shapes here: the plain あめ stands alone (雨) and stays あめ in 大雨; it becomes the prefix あま- in 雨水; and it softens to -さめ in 小雨. Then 雨天 flips to the on'yomi ウ, and 梅雨 goes its own way as つゆ.
Example sentences
ヤッタンは雨が大好きです。
ヤッタンは あめが だいすきです。
Yattan loves the rain.
雨 — the everyday kun'yomi あめ, standing alone.
モチは「雨天でも散歩に行く」と言いました。
モチは「うてんでも さんぽに いく」と いいました。
Mochi said, 'I'll go for a walk even in rainy weather.'
雨天 uses the on'yomi ウ, the reading for compound words.
弟は小雨の中をかさなしで走った。
おとうとは こさめの なかを かさなしで はしった。
My little brother ran through the light rain without an umbrella.
小雨 shows the -さめ reading: こさめ, not こあめ.
Quick recap
- 雨 = rain; 8 strokes; it's the "rain" radical itself.
- あめ when it stands alone (雨, 大雨); あま- as a prefix (雨水, 雨雲); -さめ after a word (小雨).
- ウ is the on'yomi for compounds like 雨天.
- 梅雨 = つゆ is a special whole-word reading (jukujikun) — memorize it as a set.
- The 雨 crown on top of a kanji hints "weather/sky" — as in 雪, 雲, and 電.
Your turn
Choose the correct reading of 雨 in each word.
Start the 5-question drill →Frequently asked questions
How do you read 雨 on its own vs in 雨天?
On its own, 雨 is the kun'yomi あめ ('rain'). In the compound 雨天 it's the on'yomi ウ (雨天 = うてん, 'rainy weather'). As a rule, two-kanji compounds tend to take the on'yomi.
Why is 小雨 read こさめ and not こあめ?
When 雨 follows another element it can soften from あめ to さめ (a sound change called rendaku). So 小雨 is こさめ, 'light rain.' You'll also hear the prefix form あま- in words like 雨水 (あまみず).
How is 梅雨 read, and why?
梅雨 ('the rainy season') is read つゆ. It's a jukujikun — a reading assigned to the whole word rather than to 梅 or 雨 individually — so it's best memorized as a set rather than sounded out.
What does the radical in 雨 tell me?
雨 is the 'rain' radical and usually sits as a crown on top of other kanji, signaling weather or the sky — for example 雪 (snow), 雲 (cloud), and 電 (electricity/lightning).