夕立

• Reading: ゆうだち
• Romaji: yuudachi
• Kanji breakdown: 夕 (yū) — evening; 立 (tatsu) — arise, stand up
• Pronunciation: /jɯː.da.tɕi/

Meaning

Sudden afternoon shower; summer evening squall. A brief, intense rain shower that occurs in the late afternoon or early evening during summer, often accompanied by thunder.

A yamato kotoba noun combining 夕 (evening) and 立つ (to arise), describing a shower that arises suddenly in the evening. 夕立 is one of the most quintessentially Japanese summer phenomena — appearing in haiku from the Edo period onward and associated with the sudden relief of summer heat. Unlike a typhoon, 夕立 passes quickly and leaves the air cooler and fresher. It is often romanticised in literature and poetry.

Examples

1. 蒸し暑い真夏の午後、突然の夕立がアスファルトを叩き、涼しさをもたらした。 On a sweltering midsummer afternoon, a sudden shower hammered the asphalt and brought welcome coolness.
2. 夕立のせいで洗濯物を取り込むのが遅れ、すっかり濡らしてしまった。 Because of the evening shower, I was too late getting the laundry in and it got completely soaked.
3. 江戸時代の俳句には夕立を詠んだ作品が多く、日本の夏の風物詩として定着している。 Haiku from the Edo period feature many poems that sing of the summer shower, which has become established as one of the quintessential images of Japanese summer.

Usage Guide

Context: summer weather, daily life, poetry

Tone: familiar

Origin & History

Native Japanese compound (yamato kotoba). 夕 (yū) means evening, and 立 (tachi) from 立つ (tatsu, to arise) suggests something rising suddenly. The compound captures the abrupt, dramatic onset characteristic of these summer showers.

Cultural Context

Era: Edo–Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal