Chinese

Noun

小雨

1. light rain

Antonyms

• 大雨 (dàyǔ)

See also

• 毛毛雨 (máomaoyǔ)
• 細雨／细雨 (xìyǔ)

Japanese

Etymology

Compound of 小 ‎(ko, “small, light, slight”) +‎ 雨 ‎(same, “rain”). The medial -s- either represents epenthesis between two vowels or, more likely, is a reflex of an older form of the word 雨 ‎(ame, “rain”) only maintained in fossilized compounds. See also 春雨 ‎(harusame, “spring rain”) and 稲 ‎(shine, “rice”).

Noun

小雨 ‎(hiragana こさめ, romaji kosame)

1. light rain, drizzle
   • 931–938, Wamyō Ruijushō, book 1, page 24:

     霡霂 兼名苑云、細雨一名霡霂、小雨也、麥木二音、已上本注、和名古佐女

Antonyms

• 大雨 (おおあめ) ‎(ōame, “downpour”)

Compounds

• 晴一 (はれいち)時小 (じこ)雨 (さめ) ‎(hare ichiji kosame, “clear, with brief light rain”)
• 小 (しょう)雨 (う)決 (けっ)行 (こう) ‎(shōu kekkō, “canceled only in case of heavy rain”)

References

• Minamoto, Shitagō; Kyōto Daigaku Bungakubu Kokugogaku Kokubungaku Kenkyūshitu (931–938) Shohon Shūsei Wamyō Ruijushō: Honbunhen (in Japanese), Kyōto: Rinsen, ISBN 978-4-653-00507-0, published 1968.