Definition
Wind; the movement of air outdoors. Also used in phrases to describe style or manner.
Example
今日は強い風が吹いています。
Show translation
A strong wind is blowing today.
Etymology
From Old Japanese *kaze*, attested in the *Man'yōshū* (8th century). Related to the verb *fuku* (吹く, "to blow"). The same kanji appears in compound words like 台風 (*taifū*, typhoon) and 風景 (*fūkei*, scenery), where it takes the Sino-Japanese reading *fū*.
Cultural note
Wind holds deep poetic resonance in Japanese culture. In classical poetry (waka and haiku), *kaze* signals seasonal change — an autumn wind (*aki no kaze*) evokes loneliness, while a spring breeze (*harukaze*) suggests renewal. The word also carries a secondary meaning of "style" or "manner" in compounds like 和風 (*wafū*, Japanese-style) or 洋風 (*yōfū*, Western-style), making it a high-frequency word far beyond weather talk.