曇り（くもり、kumori）
- cloudy weather

The Japanese word 曇り, read as くもり (kumori), primarily means "cloudy" or "overcast" weather. It describes a condition where the sky is covered by clouds, obscuring the sun and often resulting in a lack of direct sunlight. The degree of 曇り can vary, ranging from slightly overcast to completely clouded over. It can also figuratively refer to something being unclear or obscure.

⚫︎ 今日は曇りです。 Translation: Today is cloudy. ⚫︎ 曇りの日は、洗濯物が乾きにくいです。 Translation: On cloudy days, laundry doesn't dry easily. ⚫︎ 彼の話は少し曇っていた。 Translation: His story was a bit obscure.

⚫︎ 曇り is most commonly used in discussions about the weather. ⚫︎ You can use it to describe the sky's condition when talking to friends, family, or colleagues. ⚫︎ It’s also used in weather forecasts and reports. ⚫︎ The figurative usage is less frequent but is applicable when something is not clear or easily understood.

⚫︎ The word is typically written as 曇り using the kanji 曇 and the hiragana り. ⚫︎ The hiragana reading is くもり. ⚫︎ The okurigana (the hiragana that follow the kanji) is り.

⚫︎ 曇天 (どんてん) - overcast sky (more formal) ⚫︎ 薄曇り (うすぐもり) - slightly cloudy ⚫︎ 陰り (かげり) - cloudiness (can also imply gloominess)

⚫︎ 晴れ (はれ) - sunny, clear ⚫︎ 快晴 (かいせい) - clear and fine weather

明日は曇りのち雨の予報です。 ・Translation: The forecast for tomorrow is cloudy then rain. ・Explanation: This sentence combines 曇り with 雨 (あめ), meaning "rain", to describe the anticipated weather transition.

最近、彼の表情が曇りがちだ。 ・Translation: Recently, his expression tends to be clouded. ・Explanation: This uses the figurative sense of 曇り, referring to a gloomy or troubled expression.

The kanji 曇 itself means "cloudy" or "to become cloudy". The word 曇り likely originated from the verb 曇る (くもる), which means "to become cloudy" or "to be overcast". The noun form 曇り is derived from this verb.