Hello! My name is Miyabi, a Japanese living in Japan.
Welcome to Japan Phrase Adventure, a blog for learners of Japanese language and culture.
Important note for readers: This blog is written in English with some Japanese words included (kanji, hiragana, romaji). If your browser or Google Translate automatically translates the page into another language, the Japanese characters may not display correctly. To enjoy this article properly, please switch off automatic translation and read it in English.
Introduction
In Japan, summer is hot and humid. To make the season feel a little cooler, Japanese people often use fuurin (風鈴, wind chimes). The gentle sound of glass bells moving in the wind creates a refreshing atmosphere, even if the temperature doesn’t really change. In this article, let’s learn some Japanese summer vocabulary and expressions through fuurin.
Watch the full video lesson here↓
Vocabulary
Here are some key words from the video:
- 風鈴（ふうりん / fuurin） – wind chime
- 風（かぜ / kaze） – wind
- 音（おと / oto） – sound
- 暑い（あつい / atsui） – hot
- 涼しい（すずしい / suzushii） – cool, refreshing
Example Sentences
- これは風鈴。
This is a wind chime. - かぜがふくと、音がなる。
When the wind blows, the sound rings. - 風鈴の音はきれい。
The sound of the wind chime is beautiful. - 日本人は風鈴が好き。
Japanese people like wind chimes. - 風鈴がなると、涼しく感じる。
When the wind chime rings, it feels cool.
Grammar Point: と (when/if) with Verbs
The particle と has many meanings. One important use is when it connects with a verb to show a natural result or condition.
Pattern:
[A (verb) と, B (happens)]
= When A happens, B occurs naturally
Example:
- かぜが ふく と、音が 鳴る。
When the wind blows, the sound rings.
⚖️ Compare: と (and)
- りんご と バナナを食べる。
I eat apples and bananas.
Here, と connects two nouns. It’s different from the conditional use with verbs.
Teaching tip for learners
- If と comes after a noun, it usually means “and.”
- If と comes after a verb in dictionary form, it usually means “when / if.”
Cultural Note: Fuurin and Japanese Summer
Fuurin are not just decorations. In Japanese culture, the sound of a fuurin is believed to bring a sense of coolness. During summer festivals, you can often see and hear them hanging outside houses or temples. The soft chime is a symbol of summer in Japan.
Conclusion
Through fuurin, we learned Japanese words like atsui (hot), suzushii (cool), and the grammar pattern [A (verb) と, B (happens)]. Japanese language and culture are deeply connected, and learning through seasonal traditions makes studying more fun!
Watch the video lesson here↓
