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Questions & Answers about soto wa samui desu.
What does the particle は do in 外は寒いです? Why not が?
- は marks the topic: "As for outside, [it] is cold." It introduces what you’re talking about.
- が marks the subject and tends to identify or select: 外が寒いです is used when specifying which place is cold (e.g., in answer to どこが寒いですか “Which place is cold?”).
- As a spontaneous weather remark, 外は寒いです sounds more natural.
Where is the subject “it”?
Japanese often omits subjects, and there’s no dummy subject like English “it.” The topic 外 supplies the context: “(Speaking of) outside, (it) is cold,” which translates naturally as “It’s cold outside.”
Do I need です after an い‑adjective like 寒い?
- です adds politeness; it doesn’t change the meaning. 寒い and 寒いです both mean “is cold,” with the latter being polite.
- Tense and negation happen on the adjective itself, not on です.
- Casual: 外は寒い. Polite: 外は寒いです.
- Don’t say 寒いだ; い‑adjectives don’t take だ.
How do I say it in the past or negative?
- Past: 外は寒かったです (polite) / 外は寒かった (plain).
- Negative: 外は寒くないです (polite) / 外は寒くない (plain). More formal: 外は寒くありません.
- Past negative: 外は寒くなかったです / 外は寒くなかった.
- Don’t say 寒いでした (incorrect).
Is 外は寒いです the same as 外が寒いです?
- 外は寒いです: topic-comment; a general remark, common in conversation.
- 外が寒いです: identifies outside as the cold one among options; natural when contrasting or answering a “which” question. As a standalone weather comment, it can sound oddly specific.
Why is the particle は pronounced “wa”?
When は is the topic particle, it’s read “wa” (not “ha”). This is a fixed convention, as in こんにちは.
How do I pronounce the words?
- 外 = そと (soto)
- 寒い = さむい (samui)
- です = desu (the final “u” is often very light, so it sounds like “dess”)
What’s the difference between 寒い and 冷たい?
- 寒い: cold air/ambient temperature or how you feel because the air is cold. Example: 外は寒い.
- 冷たい: cold to the touch (objects, food, hands) or a “cold” manner. Example: 水は冷たい. Don’t use 冷たい alone for weather.
Can I use で instead of は, like 外で寒いです?
- 外で marks the location where someone experiences the state: （私は）外で寒いです ≈ “I feel cold when I’m outside.”
- 外は寒いです describes the environment of “outside” itself as cold. Use は for general weather statements.
Is it okay to say just 寒いです or just 寒い?
Yes. 寒いです (polite) or 寒い (casual) means “It’s cold.” Adding 外は specifies that you’re talking about the outside specifically.
Do Japanese usually put spaces between words like 外 は 寒い です?
No. Standard writing doesn’t use spaces: 外は寒いです。 Textbooks sometimes insert spaces to help learners.
Should I say 今日は寒いです or 外は寒いです?
- 今日は寒いです: “It’s cold today,” focusing on the day’s overall weather.
- 外は寒いです: “It’s cold outside,” highlighting the outside specifically, often in contrast to indoors.
Can I add sentence-ending particles like ね or よ?
Yes.
- 外は寒いですね: invites agreement/softens (“It’s cold outside, isn’t it?”).
- 外は寒いですよ: informs/emphasizes (“It’s cold outside, you know.”).
How do I contrast inside and outside?
- 中は暖かいけど、外は寒いです。 “Inside is warm, but outside is cold.”
- Make an explicit comparison: 中より外のほうが寒いです。 “Outside is colder than inside.”
Is 涼しい different from 寒い?
Yes. 涼しい means “cool/pleasantly cool,” while 寒い is “cold” (uncomfortably). Example: 今日は涼しいですね vs 外は寒いですね.