台風

• Reading: たいふう
• Romaji: taifuu
• Kanji breakdown: 台 (tai) — pedestal, counter; 風 (fuu) — wind
• Pronunciation: /tai.ɸɯː/

Meaning

Typhoon; hurricane. A powerful tropical storm common in the western Pacific region.

Japan experiences multiple typhoons annually, especially from August to October. Typhoons are numbered rather than named in Japan (台風○号). Related expressions include 台風が来る (a typhoon is coming) and 台風が上陸する (a typhoon makes landfall).

Examples

1. 来週、大きな台風が来るそうです。 I heard a big typhoon is coming next week.
2. 台風のせいで電車が止まりました。 The trains stopped because of the typhoon.
3. 毎年夏になると台風が多くなります。 Every summer, there are more typhoons.

Usage Guide

Context: weather, news, daily life

Tone: serious

Origin & History

The kanji 台 (pedestal, platform) and 風 (wind) combine to describe a great wind. The word is also thought to derive from the Cantonese pronunciation of 大風 (big wind) or the English 'typhoon.'

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal