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JLPT N119画 · 19 strokesradical 雨freq #1747

fog, mist

On'yomi (音読み)

  • ボウ

Kun'yomi (訓読み)

  • きり

Mnemonic

As the rain (雨) falls, it forms a thick fog (霧) that wraps around the landscape, making everything mysterious and hard to see.

About this kanji

The kanji 霧, pronounced "kiri" in kun'yomi, means fog or mist. It is primarily used as a noun. You'll often encounter it in compounds like 霧雨 (きりさめ), which means drizzle, and 濃霧 (のうむ), meaning heavy fog. Another common compound is 朝霧 (あさぎり), which refers to morning fog, a beautiful sight in nature. Using this kanji can help express atmospheric conditions, especially when discussing weather. Note that while 霧 usually refers to weather, it can also carry a figurative meaning, like "thick fog of suspicion," as in 黒い霧 (くろいきり), highlighting its versatility in both literal and metaphorical contexts.

Example sentences

  • 霧が濃くて視界が悪い。

    The fog is thick, making visibility poor.

Meanings across languages

English
fog, mist
Tiếng Việt
sương mù, khói
日本語
霧, ミスト
한국어
안개, 먼지
中文
雾, 烟雾
id
kabut, embun
th
หมอก, ควัน
es
niebla, neblina
fr
brouillard, brume
de
Nebel, Dunst
pt
neblina, mist

Common compounds

  • 霧雨きりさめdrizzle, light rain
  • 濃霧のうむheavy fog, dense fog, thick fog
  • 朝霧あさぎりmorning fog, morning mist
  • 夕霧ゆうぎりevening mist
  • 黒い霧くろいきりthick fog (of suspicion), black veil of secrecy, covered-up crime, unethical act, etc.
  • 霧吹ききりふきspraying, sprayer, atomizer
  • 雲散霧消うんさんむしょうvanishing like mist
  • 雲霧うんむclouds and fog

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