台风 (táifēng) — typhoon

台风 (táifēng)

台风 is the Chinese term for a typhoon, a tropical cyclone that forms in the western Pacific Ocean and frequently affects coastal regions of East and Southeast Asia.

Meanings

1. [noun] typhoon; tropical cyclone (a severe tropical storm in the western Pacific)

Example Sentences

今年夏天，一场强烈的台风袭击了沿海城市。 Jīnnián xiàtiān, yī chǎng qiángliè de táifēng xíjī le yánhǎi chéngshì. This summer, a powerful typhoon struck the coastal cities.

气象部门预测台风将于明天登陆。 Qìxiàng bùmén yùcè táifēng jiāng yú míngtiān dēnglù. The meteorological department predicts the typhoon will make landfall tomorrow.

台风带来的暴雨导致严重洪涝灾害。 Táifēng dàilái de bàoyǔ dǎozhì yánzhòng hónglào zāihài. The heavy rains brought by the typhoon caused severe flood disasters.

政府提醒居民做好台风防范工作。 Zhèngfǔ tíxǐng jūmín zuò hǎo táifēng fánfàn gōngzuò. The government reminded residents to prepare for typhoon prevention.

台风季节通常在每年的六月到十月。 Táifēng jìjié tōngcháng zài měinián de liùyuè dào shíyuè. The typhoon season is usually from June to October each year.

这次台风造成了数十亿元的经济损失。 Zhè cì táifēng zàochéng le shùshí yì yuán de jīngjì sǔnshī. This typhoon caused tens of billions of yuan in economic losses.

Collocations

Usage Notes

台风 is the standard Chinese term for a typhoon and is used in meteorology, news, and everyday speech in areas prone to these storms, such as coastal China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. 台 here is short for 台湾 (Taiwan), as typhoons frequently affect the Taiwan Strait area.

In scientific contexts, typhoons are technically the same as hurricanes and cyclones -- the name differs by geographic region. Typhoons are often given names by weather agencies, and Chinese news reports will refer to them as 台风"XXX号" (Typhoon No. X) during the season.

Memory Hook

台 sounds like "tie" and 风 means "wind" -- a typhoon is a wind so strong it could "tie" you to a post. Also: 台 = Taiwan, where these winds famously come from.