Nuance & Usage
台風 refers to a typhoon — the term used in the Western Pacific region for what is called a hurricane in the Atlantic. Japan experiences typhoon season mainly from June through November. Each typhoon is numbered in Japan (台風1号, 2号...). Key vocabulary: 台風が来る (typhoon is approaching), 台風が上陸する (typhoon makes landfall), 台風の目 (taifuu no me — eye of the typhoon). Related weather terms: 暴風雨 (boufuu-u — storm), 大雨洪水警報 (flood warning).
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes confuse 台風 (taifuu — typhoon, specifically for the Western Pacific) with ハリケーン (hurricane, for the Atlantic) and サイクロン (cyclone, for the Indian Ocean). These are the same meteorological phenomenon but named differently by region. A very useful sentence for travel: 台風の影響で電車が止まっています (Trains are stopped due to the typhoon) — trains and flights in Japan cancel regularly during typhoons.
Example Sentences (3)
台風が近づいているので、外出しない方がいいです。
たいふうがちかづいているので、がいしゅつしないほうがいいです。
Since a typhoon is approaching, it's better not to go outside.
台風の影響で、明日の授業は休みになりました。
たいふうのえいきょうで、あしたのじゅぎょうはやすみになりました。
Due to the typhoon, tomorrow's class has been cancelled.
日本では毎年夏から秋にかけて台風が多く来ます。
にほんではまいとしなつからあきにかけてたいふうがおおくきます。
In Japan, typhoons frequently come from summer through autumn every year.
Quick Quiz
Quick Quiz
N44 questionsTest your knowledge of 台風 with 4 different question types.
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