气候 (qìhòu)

气候 means climate. It refers to the long-term weather patterns typical of a region, as opposed to 天气 (tiānqì), which is the weather on any given day. 气 means air or atmosphere, and 候 means season or time period. A useful contrast: 今天天气怎么样 (What is the weather like today?) uses 天气, while 这里的气候很好 (The climate here is very nice) uses 气候. One is a daily snapshot; the other is the long-term character of a place.

Meanings

[noun] Climate; the typical long-term weather conditions of a place or region.

Example Sentences

这里的气候四季分明。 Zhèlǐ de qìhòu sìjì fēnmíng. The climate here has four distinct seasons.

全球气候变化是一个严重的问题。 Quánqiú qìhòu biànhuà shì yī gè yánzhòng de wèntí. Global climate change is a serious problem.

我喜欢这里温暖的气候。 Wǒ xǐhuān zhèlǐ wēnnuǎn de qìhòu. I like the warm climate here.

热带气候的地方雨水很多。 Rèdài qìhòu de dìfang yǔshuǐ hěn duō. Places with a tropical climate have a lot of rainfall.

Collocations

Collocation	Meaning
气候变化	climate change
温带气候	temperate climate
热带气候	tropical climate
气候条件	climatic conditions
适应气候	to adapt to the climate

Memory Hook

气 (air/atmosphere) plus 候 (season/period). Climate is the atmosphere measured over a long period. Think of checking the air over many seasons to describe a place's climate.