Lesson 8: Weather and Seasons
Learn to describe the weather and seasons using adjective predicates and the question 怎么样.
Overview
Weather is one of those topics that comes up in almost every casual conversation. This lesson teaches you how to describe weather conditions, name the four seasons, and ask someone how something is with 怎么样. You also solidify an important grammar point: in Chinese, adjectives can serve as the main predicate of a sentence without needing 是.
Understanding this adjective predicate pattern will make your Chinese sound much more natural. Beginners who say 天气是热 (using 是 before an adjective) are making a common error that this lesson addresses directly.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this lesson you can:
- Describe today's weather using adjective predicates
- Name the four seasons and basic weather conditions
- Ask how something is using 怎么样
- Compare weather in different places or seasons
Vocabulary
| Character | Pinyin | Type | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 天气 | tiānqì | noun | weather | 今天天气怎么样？ |
| 热 | rè | adj | hot | 夏天很热。 |
| 冷 | lěng | adj | cold | 冬天很冷。 |
| 暖和 | nuǎnhuo | adj | warm | 春天很暖和。 |
| 凉快 | liángkuai | adj | cool, refreshing | 秋天很凉快。 |
| 下雨 | xià yǔ | verb phrase | to rain | 今天下雨了。 |
| 下雪 | xià xuě | verb phrase | to snow | 北京冬天下雪。 |
| 刮风 | guā fēng | verb phrase | to be windy | 外面在刮风。 |
| 晴天 | qíngtiān | noun | sunny day | 今天是晴天。 |
| 阴天 | yīntiān | noun | cloudy/overcast day | 今天是阴天。 |
| 季节 | jìjié | noun | season | 你喜欢哪个季节？ |
| 春天 | chūntiān | noun | spring | 春天来了。 |
| 夏天 | xiàtiān | noun | summer | 我不喜欢夏天。 |
| 秋天 | qiūtiān | noun | autumn | 秋天很美。 |
| 冬天 | dōngtiān | noun | winter | 冬天我喜欢滑雪。 |
Grammar Focus
Pattern 1: Adjective predicate without 是
Structure: Subject + (很) + Adjective
In Chinese, adjectives can directly serve as the main predicate without any linking verb. You do not say 天气是热; you say 天气很热. The 很 (very) is not always emphatic; in many sentences it is simply there to fill the grammatical slot and sounds neutral. If you want to make a contrast or negate, you drop 很: 今天不热.
| Example | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 今天很热。 | Jīntiān hěn rè. | Today is hot. |
| 冬天不冷。 | Dōngtiān bù lěng. | Winter is not cold (here). |
| 这件衣服很贵。 | Zhè jiàn yīfu hěn guì. | This piece of clothing is very expensive. |
Common mistake: inserting 是 before an adjective predicate. 天气是热 sounds wrong to native speakers. Remove 是 and the sentence works perfectly.
Pattern 2: 怎么样 to ask "how is it"
Structure: Subject + 怎么样？
怎么样 is an all-purpose question phrase meaning "how is it / what is it like." It is more open-ended than asking a specific question: you are inviting the other person to give their overall impression. It works for weather, health, food, a movie, or almost any situation.
| Example | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 今天天气怎么样？ | Jīntiān tiānqì zěnmeyàng? | What is the weather like today? |
| 那部电影怎么样？ | Nà bù diànyǐng zěnmeyàng? | How was that movie? |
| 你最近怎么样？ | Nǐ zuìjìn zěnmeyàng? | How have you been lately? |
Common mistake: responding to 怎么样 with just one adjective and forgetting the 很. 很不错 (very good), 很好看 (very nice to look at), and 还可以 (so-so) are all natural responses.
Pattern 3: 下雨, 下雪, 刮风 as verb phrases
Structure: 在 + 下雨 / 下雪 / 刮风 (for ongoing) or bare form for general statements
Weather actions in Chinese use the structure verb + object: 下 (fall/come down) + 雨 (rain) or 雪 (snow), and 刮 (blow) + 风 (wind). To say it is currently doing something, add 在: 在下雨 (it is raining right now). For general or habitual statements, use the bare form.
| Example | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 外面在下雨。 | Wàimian zài xià yǔ. | It is raining outside right now. |
| 上海夏天经常下雨。 | Shànghǎi xiàtiān jīngcháng xià yǔ. | Shanghai often rains in summer. |
| 昨天刮了很大的风。 | Zuótiān guāle hěn dà de fēng. | Yesterday there was a very strong wind. |
Common mistake: translating "it is raining" as a single word like 雨. You need the full verb phrase 下雨. The subject "it" has no equivalent in Chinese; the verb phrase alone is sufficient.
Dialogue
Two friends chatting about the weekend weather.
阿里: 今天天气怎么样？ Jīntiān tiānqì zěnmeyàng? What is the weather like today?
小花: 今天是阴天，不太热，也不冷，挺舒服的。 Jīntiān shì yīntiān, bú tài rè, yě bù lěng, tǐng shūfu de. Today is overcast, not too hot, not cold either, quite comfortable.
阿里: 好，那我们去公园吧。你喜欢哪个季节？ Hǎo, nà wǒmen qù gōngyuán ba. Nǐ xǐhuan nǎ gè jìjié? Great, then let's go to the park. Which season do you like?
小花: 我最喜欢秋天，不冷不热，天气很好。你呢？ Wǒ zuì xǐhuan qiūtiān, bù lěng bú rè, tiānqì hěn hǎo. Nǐ ne? I like autumn the most, not cold not hot, the weather is lovely. What about you?
阿里: 我喜欢冬天，因为我喜欢下雪！ Wǒ xǐhuan dōngtiān, yīnwèi wǒ xǐhuan xià xuě! I like winter because I like snow!
小花: 哈哈，那你应该去东北！ Hāhā, nà nǐ yīnggāi qù Dōngběi! Haha, then you should go to Northeast China!
Practice
Exercise 1: Fill in the blank
- 今天 __ 雨，出门带伞。(raining)
- 夏天 __ 热。(very)
- 今天天气 __？(how is it)
- 北京冬天 __ 冷？(is it)
- 春天 __ 热也不冷。(neither)
Exercise 2: Translate to Chinese
- Today's weather is great.
- It is raining outside. Bring an umbrella.
- I don't like hot weather.
- How is the weather in Beijing in winter?
- Spring is warm and comfortable.
Exercise 3: Answer these questions
- 你现在在哪里？今天天气怎么样？
- 你最喜欢哪个季节？为什么？
- 你们国家冬天下雪吗？
Cultural Note
China has enormous climatic variety. The northeast (哈尔滨, Harbin) sees heavy snow and temperatures below -30°C in winter, while the south (广州, Guangzhou) stays warm year-round. When speaking with Chinese people, mentioning where you are from and comparing weather there with China is a reliable small-talk topic. One cultural habit to know: Chinese people, especially older generations, pay close attention to the concept of 寒气 (hánqì, "cold air") entering the body. You may be told to put on more clothes, avoid cold drinks, or not go out with wet hair, as these are believed to cause illness. Accepting this advice graciously, even if you do not fully share the belief, is considered polite.