Wind Cold 風 かぜ

The word 風 かぜ kaze has three different meanings. The first two refer to the sound and the picture. It means “wind”, but it could also mean “a cold”. The idea simple means that you catch the wind and therefore you catch a cold. In English we also say “we caught a draft”, meaning “we caught a cold”.  

The third meaning is related, but in this context it means “style”. Think of it as “the style the wind brings in” – you feel it, but you cannot see it.

Here are three examples:

私は風を引きました。

わたしはかぜをひきました。

watashi wa kaze o hikimashita

I caught a cold.

外は強い風が吹いています。

そとはつよいかぜがふいています。

soto wa tsuyoi kaze ga fuite imasu

There is a strong wind blowing outside.

和風 – 洋風

わふう – ようふう

wafū – yōfū

Japanese-style – western-style