hei3 hau6氣候气候
Jyutpinghei3 hau6
Yalehei hauh
Definition
Climate; the long-term weather conditions of a region including temperature, precipitation, and humidity.
neutralweathernature
How it's used
Refers specifically to long term atmospheric patterns rather than the day to day weather, which is referred to as 天氣. While it is a formal term, it is frequently used in academic or news contexts to discuss environmental changes or regional characteristics. It is rarely used in casual conversation unless specifically discussing geography or health adjustments to a new environment.
Examples
Hong Kong's climate is very humid, and it rains all the time in summer.
Are you used to the climate here?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse 氣候 with 天氣. Remember that 天氣 describes the current state of the atmosphere, such as whether it is sunny or raining today, whereas 氣候 describes the average patterns over a long period.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
