Chinese Conversation · Level 2
86 words
Chinese word
阴天
Pronunciation
Pinyinyīn tiān
Meaning
- nouncloudy day
Example
今天是阴天，要带伞吗？jīn tiān shì yīn tiān yào dài sǎn ma
Today is a cloudy day. Should we bring an umbrella?
More examples
阴天时，容易下雨。yīn tiān shí róng yì xià yǔ
On cloudy days, it often rains.
Core concept
A gray ceiling of cloud spreads across the sky and keeps the sun out.
Common phrases
阴天出门yīn tiān chū mén
go out on a cloudy day
阴天时yīn tiān shí
on a cloudy day
Similar words
多云duō yún: Weather with plenty of clouds and occasional sunshine.
阴yīn: Dark, overcast weather in which thick clouds keep the sun out of sight.
阴雨yīn yǔ: Dark weather during which rain comes and goes for some time.
雨天yǔ tiān: Weather on a day when rain is falling.
Definition in Chinese
天空被厚云覆盖，日光被遮，光线昏暗但不一定下雨。tiān kōng bèi hòu yún fù gài rì guāng bèi zhē guāng xiàn hūn àn dàn bù yí dìng xià yǔ
Word origin
The word 阴天 (yīntiān, "cloudy day") joins 阴 (yīn, "shaded") with 天 (tiān, "sky or weather"), linking the weather name to a sky that receives little direct sunlight.
Usage tips
- English speakers often treat cloudy and rainy as near twins, but this Chinese weather term also covers a sunless day when the ground stays dry.
Other meanings
- overcast skynoun
Opposites
- 晴天qíng tiānsunny daynoun