Weather

Korean Basic Conversation 2

Chapter 6 · Weather & Seasons

🌦️ Weather & Seasons — 날씨와 계절

Korea has four very distinct seasons, a rainy season, typhoons, and a winter cold that makes weather one of the first things people talk about. This chapter gives you the words for weather, temperatures and seasons, and, because so many weather words are ㅂ-irregular (덥다 → 더워요, 춥다 → 추워요), it finally teaches that pattern properly. Dialogs have no romanization line; each ends with a Hard words note, and the tables keep the "Say it" column.

eo = ㅓ (short, open "uh") eu = ㅡ (unrounded "oo") kk, tt, pp, ss = tense (tight, unaspirated) consonants [ ] = how the word is actually said, where it differs from the spelling

① How's the Weather? — 오늘 날씨 어때요?

A: 오늘 날씨 어때요? How's the weather today?

B: 맑고 따뜻해요. Clear and warm.

A: 어제는 비가 많이 왔어요. Yesterday it rained a lot.

B: 네, 그런데 오늘은 정말 좋아요! Yes, but today is really nice!

Hard words: 날씨 nal-ssi · 맑고 mal-go · 따뜻해요 tta-tteu-tae-yo · 왔어요 wa-sseo-yo

② Summer Heat — 정말 더워요!

A: 요즘 정말 더워요! It's really hot these days!

B: 맞아요. 오늘은 삼십오 도예요. True. Today it's 35 degrees.

A: 에어컨 있어요? Do you have air conditioning?

B: 네, 그런데 전기 요금이 비싸요. Yes, but the electricity bill is expensive.

Hard words: 더워요 deo-wo-yo · 삼십오 도 sam-si-bo do · 에어컨 e-eo-keon · 전기 요금 jeon-gi yo-geum

③ Winter Cold — 밖에 추워요?

A: 밖에 추워요? Is it cold outside?

B: 네, 많이 추워요. 영하 오 도예요. Yes, very cold. It's minus five.

A: 그럼 두꺼운 코트를 입으세요! Then wear a thick coat!

B: 네, 장갑도 가져갈게요. Yes, I'll take gloves too.

Hard words: 추워요 chu-wo-yo · 영하 yeong-ha · 두꺼운 du-kkeo-un · 장갑 jang-gap · 입으세요 i-beu-se-yo

④ The Forecast — 내일은 비가 올 거예요

A: 내일 날씨 어때요? What's the weather like tomorrow?

B: 일기예보를 봤어요. 비가 올 거예요. I checked the forecast. It's going to rain.

A: 바람도 불어요? Is it windy too?

B: 네, 바람도 많이 불 거예요. 우산을 가져가세요. Yes, there'll be a lot of wind. Take an umbrella.

Hard words: 일기예보 il-gi-ye-bo · 봤어요 bwa-sseo-yo · 바람 ba-ram · 불어요 bu-reo-yo · 우산 u-san

⑤ Favourite Season — 무슨 계절을 좋아해요?

A: 무슨 계절을 제일 좋아해요? Which season do you like best?

B: 가을을 제일 좋아해요. 시원하고 단풍이 예뻐요. Autumn. It's cool and the autumn leaves are pretty.

A: 저는 봄이 좋아요. 벚꽃이 예뻐요. I like spring. The cherry blossoms are pretty.

B: 맞아요. 그런데 봄에는 미세먼지가 많아요. True. But in spring there's a lot of fine dust.

Hard words: 계절 gye-jeol · 제일 je-il · 단풍 dan-pung · 벚꽃 beot-kkot · 미세먼지 mi-se-meon-ji

⑥ Two Friends (casual) — 완전 더워!

A: 오늘 완전 더워! It's so hot today!

B: 응, 시원한 거 먹고 싶어! Yeah, I want something cold to eat!

A: 빙수 먹을래? Fancy a shaved-ice dessert?

B: 좋아! 내가 살게! Yes! My treat!

Hard words: 시원한 si-won-han · 빙수 bing-su · 살게 sal-ge

🗝️ Key Phrases — 중요한 표현

Situation	Polite	Casual
How's the weather?	날씨가 어때요? nal-ssi-ga eot-tae-yo?	날씨 어때? nal-ssi eot-tae?
It's hot / cold.	더워요. / 추워요. deo-wo-yo / chu-wo-yo	더워. / 추워. deo-wo / chu-wo
It's raining. / It's snowing.	비가 와요. / 눈이 와요. bi-ga wa-yo / nu-ni wa-yo	비 와. / 눈 와. bi wa / nun wa
What's the temperature?	몇 도예요? myeot do-ye-yo?	몇 도야? myeot do-ya?
Take an umbrella.	우산을 가져가세요. u-sa-neul ga-jyeo-ga-se-yo.	우산 가져가. u-san ga-jyeo-ga.
Which season do you like?	무슨 계절을 좋아해요? mu-seun gye-jeo-reul jo-a-hae-yo?	무슨 계절 좋아해? mu-seun gye-jeol jo-a-hae?

🔤 Three Words for the Weather — 동사와 형용사

Word	Everyday polite (-요)	Formal (-ㅂ니다)	Casual
to be hot (덥다)	더워요 deo-wo-yo	덥습니다 deop-sseum-ni-da	더워 deo-wo
to be cold (춥다)	추워요 chu-wo-yo	춥습니다 chup-sseum-ni-da	추워 chu-wo
to blow (wind) (불다)	불어요 bu-reo-yo	붑니다 bum-ni-da	불어 bu-reo

🧱 Five Tools for Talking About the Weather

1. The ㅂ-irregular pattern

Many describing words end in -ㅂ (덥다, 춥다, 맵다). Before a vowel ending (-어요, -은, -었어요) the ㅂ turns into 우, which joins the vowel and gives -워: 덥다 → 더워요, 춥다 → 추워요. Before a consonant ending (-고, -지만, -습니다) the ㅂ stays: 덥고 습해요 ("hot and humid"), 춥지만 맑아요 ("cold but clear").

Dictionary form	-요	Before a noun	Past (-었어요)	Meaning
덥다	더워요 deo-wo-yo	더운 deo-un	더웠어요 deo-wo-sseo-yo	hot
춥다	추워요 chu-wo-yo	추운 chu-un	추웠어요 chu-wo-sseo-yo	cold
맵다	매워요 mae-wo-yo	매운 mae-un	매웠어요 mae-wo-sseo-yo	spicy
쉽다	쉬워요 swi-wo-yo	쉬운 swi-un	쉬웠어요 swi-wo-sseo-yo	easy
어렵다	어려워요 eo-ryeo-wo-yo	어려운 eo-ryeo-un	어려웠어요 eo-ryeo-wo-sseo-yo	difficult
가깝다	가까워요 ga-kka-wo-yo	가까운 ga-kka-un	가까웠어요 ga-kka-wo-sseo-yo	near
귀엽다	귀여워요 gwi-yeo-wo-yo	귀여운 gwi-yeo-un	귀여웠어요 gwi-yeo-wo-sseo-yo	cute

Not every -ㅂ word is irregular. The common exceptions are 좁다 → 좁아요 (narrow, from Chapter 5), 입다 → 입어요 (wear) and 잡다 → 잡아요 (catch). Learn each as you meet it. Also note that 돕다 ("to help") makes 도와요, with 와 rather than 워.

2. Weather with 이/가

Weather phenomena are expressed as "something comes / blows": 비가 와요 (rain comes), 눈이 와요 (snow comes), 바람이 불어요 (wind blows). The weather itself is a subject (이/가), and the amount goes before the verb: 비가 많이 와요. Use the future from Chapter 3 for forecasts: 내일은 눈이 올 거예요.

English	Korean	Say it
It's clear / sunny.	맑아요.	mal-ga-yo
It's cloudy.	흐려요.	heu-ryeo-yo
It's warm.	따뜻해요.	tta-tteu-tae-yo
It's cool and refreshing.	시원해요.	si-won-hae-yo
It's chilly.	쌀쌀해요.	ssal-ssal-hae-yo
It's humid.	습해요.	seu-pae-yo
It's dry.	건조해요.	geon-jo-hae-yo

시원해요 is a cool that feels good (a breeze, a cold drink); 추워요 is cold you do not enjoy.

3. Temperatures — 도

Korea uses Celsius. Say a Sino-Korean number plus 도: 이십오 도 (25°). Below zero is 영하 ("below zero") and above zero is 영상: 영하 오 도 is −5°. Ask 몇 도예요?

4. The four seasons — 사계절

Season	Korean	Say it	Typical months
spring	봄	bom	March to May
summer	여름	yeo-reum	June to August
autumn	가을	ga-eul	September to November
winter	겨울	gyeo-ul	December to February

Seasons take 에 like any time word: 여름에는 더워요 ("in summer it's hot"), 겨울에 눈이 많이 와요. The lovely word 사계절 ("four seasons") names the whole cycle.

5. Giving advice — -세요

A polite suggestion or instruction ends in -(으)세요: 우산을 가져가세요 ("take an umbrella"), 코트를 입으세요 ("put on a coat"). It is the same honorific ending as in 안녕하세요 and 주세요 from Korean Basic Conversation 1.

📖 Vocabulary — 어휘

#	Korean	Say it	English	Type
1	날씨	nal-ssi	weather	noun
2	계절	gye-jeol	season	noun
3	봄	bom	spring	noun
4	여름	yeo-reum	summer	noun
5	가을	ga-eul	autumn	noun
6	겨울	gyeo-ul	winter	noun
7	비	bi	rain	noun
8	눈	nun	snow; eye	noun
9	바람	ba-ram	wind	noun
10	우산	u-san	umbrella	noun
11	장마	jang-ma	rainy season	noun
12	일기예보	il-gi-ye-bo	weather forecast	noun
13	덥다	deop-tta	to be hot	adjective
14	춥다	chup-tta	to be cold	adjective
15	따뜻하다	tta-tteu-ta-da	to be warm	adjective
16	시원하다	si-won-ha-da	to be cool; refreshing	adjective
17	쌀쌀하다	ssal-ssal-ha-da	to be chilly	adjective
18	맑다	mak-tta	to be clear; sunny	adjective
19	흐리다	heu-ri-da	to be cloudy	adjective
20	건조하다	geon-jo-ha-da	to be dry	adjective

One Word, Two Meanings: 눈 눈 means both "snow" and "eye". Context decides: 눈이 와요 ("snow is coming", with the verb 오다), but 눈이 아파요 ("my eyes hurt"). You will see this in dramas as 첫눈, the "first snow" of the winter.

Rain, Dust and Typhoons A 장마 (rainy season) arrives in early summer, typically around late June and July, and typhoons (태풍) can follow in late summer and autumn. In spring and winter many people check the 미세먼지 (fine dust) level on their phone alongside the forecast, and you may hear 황사 (yellow dust blown in from the continent). A winter cold snap is a 한파.

Four Seasons, Four Pleasures Spring has 벚꽃 (cherry blossom), summer has 빙수 (shaved ice with sweet toppings), autumn has 단풍 (leaves turning red and gold), and winter has snow and hot food. The big family holiday 추석 (harvest festival) falls in autumn, and 설날 (Lunar New Year) falls in winter.

As Heard in Dramas — 드라마에서 Dramas love weather. A sudden shower is the excuse for a shared umbrella: 우산 같이 쓸래요? ("shall we share my umbrella?"). The 첫눈 (first snow) is a famous romantic moment. Characters also say 날씨가 미쳤어 ("the weather has gone crazy") in casual talk when it's extremely hot or cold.

Grammar Pointer The ㅡ-drop (예쁘다 → 예뻐요) is from Korean Basic Conversation 2, Chapter 4, and the future with -(으)ㄹ 거예요 is from Chapter 3. The past tense is taught in full in Chapter 9. Seasons and time words take 에 (Korean Grammar 1, chapter 4).

✍️ Try It Yourself — 연습

Say each answer out loud first, then click to check.

1. Ask "How's the weather today?" and answer "It's cloudy and cold."

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오늘 날씨 어때요? — 흐리고 추워요.

2. Say "In summer it's hot and humid." (Watch the ㅂ before 고.)

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여름에는 덥고 습해요.

3. Say "Tomorrow it's going to snow."

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내일은 눈이 올 거예요.

4. Say "It's minus three degrees. Wear a thick coat!"

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영하 삼 도예요. 두꺼운 코트를 입으세요!

5. Put these into everyday polite: 어렵다, 좁다, 가깝다.

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어려워요 (ㅂ-irregular), 좁아요 (regular exception), 가까워요 (ㅂ-irregular).

6. Tell a friend casually, "It's really cold today!"

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오늘 완전 추워!