The Meaning of yūdachi [夕立] In Japanese

夕立
ゆうだち
Romaji: yūdachi N5

What does 夕立 mean?

Translation and Meaning

evening shower, sudden rain

Definition

What does 夕立 mean? A brief, localized rain event that occurs in the late afternoon or evening, particularly in summer Japan. It emphasizes the transient nature and the specific time of day when the rainfall arrives, typically with short duration.

Type

Noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • A localized, brief rainfall event
  • Often described as a passing shower in contemporary meteorology
  • A poetic or literary motif for fleeting weather

Composition

  • 夕: evening, dusk
  • 立: to stand, to rise; onset

Usage

Used in meteorology, journalism, travel writing, and everyday conversation to describe a brief, localized shower; casual register; common in summer.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: picture the sun setting as the clouds suddenly ‘stand up’ to drop a quick shower, making the evening rain easy to recall.

Variations

  • 通り雨 (toori-ame) — a passing shower
  • にわか雨 (niwaka-ame) — sudden rain
  • 雷雨 (raiu) — thunderstorm
  • 夕立ち (yuudachi) — alternative reading

Example Phrases

  • 夕立が来て 道が濡れて 僕は 傘を 忘れて 学校へ 行った
    yuudachi ga kite michi ga nurete boku wa kasa o wasurete gakkou e itta
    A sudden evening shower came, the road got wet, and I forgot my umbrella and went to school.
    Lista:
    • 夕立が来て (yuudachi ga kite) – the evening shower came
    • 道が濡れて (michi ga nurete) – the road got wet
    • 僕は (boku wa) – I
    • 傘を (kasa o) – umbrella
    • 忘れて (wasurete) – forgetting
    • 学校へ (gakkou e) – to school
    • 行った (itta) – went
    The sentence uses the te-form to link events; the word 「夕立」 means a sudden evening shower, here forming 「夕立が来て」 to connect the shower’s arrival with the road getting wet.
夕立