What does 冬 mean in Japanese?
冬 means winter in Japanese. It completes the four seasons after 春, 夏, and 秋, and gives learners practical words such as 冬休み (fuyuyasumi, winter break).
冬 has two main readings. Read it as ふゆ (fuyu) when it stands alone or in everyday words such as 冬休み and 真冬 (mafuyu, midwinter), and as トウ (tou) in compounds such as 冬眠 (toumin, hibernation). In daily conversation, ふゆ does nearly all the work.
Reading
On’yomi: トウ (tou)
Kun’yomi: ふゆ (fuyu)
Basic Information
| Kanji | 冬 |
|---|---|
| Meaning | winter |
| Stroke Count | 5 |
| JLPT Level | N4 |
How to Understand This Kanji
冬 in Japan means New Year holidays, hot pots, and the kotatsu. The reading ふゆ handles everyday words, while トウ appears in compounds such as 冬眠 (hibernation) and 暖冬 (a mild winter), a word you will hear in weather news. 真冬 (midwinter) follows the same pattern as 真夏 (midsummer), marking the most extreme stretch of the season.
Common Words
- 冬（ふゆ / fuyu） — winter
- 冬休み（ふゆやすみ / fuyuyasumi） — winter break
- 真冬（まふゆ / mafuyu） — midwinter
- 冬服（ふゆふく / fuyufuku） — winter clothes
- 暖冬（だんとう / dantou） — mild winter
- 冬眠（とうみん / toumin） — hibernation
Example Sentences
-
北海道の冬はとても寒いです。
ほっかいどうのふゆはとてもさむいです。 / Hokkaidou no fuyu wa totemo samui desu.
Winter in Hokkaido is very cold.
-
冬休みに家族と温泉へ行きます。
ふゆやすみにかぞくとおんせんへいきます。 / Fuyuyasumi ni kazoku to onsen e ikimasu.
I will go to a hot spring with my family during winter break.
-
今年は雪が多い冬でした。
ことしはゆきがおおいふゆでした。 / Kotoshi wa yuki ga ooi fuyu deshita.
This year was a winter with a lot of snow.
When Learners Usually See This Kanji
冬休み (winter break) includes the New Year, the biggest holiday season in Japan. The prefix 真 works for both extremes: 真冬 (midwinter) and 真夏 (midsummer) are a handy pattern pair. 暖冬 (dantou, mild winter) appears in news and small talk about unusual weather, and 冬眠 (toumin, hibernation) is a fun word that shows the トウ reading.
Summary
冬 means winter and completes the four seasons, appearing in everyday words like 冬休み and 真冬 along with the news word 暖冬.