guāfēng: 刮风 - To Be Windy, The Wind Blows

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• Summary: Learn the essential Chinese weather term 刮风 (guā fēng), which means “to be windy” or “the wind blows.” This page breaks down the characters 刮 (guā) and 风 (fēng), explains its simple verb-object structure, and provides 10 practical example sentences. Discover how to use it in daily conversation, common mistakes to avoid, and its cultural significance, making it a perfect resource for HSK 1 students and beginner learners of Mandarin Chinese.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): guā fēng
• Part of Speech: Verb-Object Compound (functions as a verb)
• HSK Level: HSK 1
• Concise Definition: For the wind to blow; to be windy.
• In a Nutshell: 刮风 (guā fēng) is the most common and direct way to say that it's windy. It's not an adjective like in English (“it is windy”), but an action: the wind (风) is blowing (刮). Think of it as an event that is happening. You'll hear and use this term constantly when making small talk about the weather in China.

• 刮 (guā): This character means “to scrape,” “to shave,” or “to blow.” It's composed of 舌 (shé - tongue) and the radical 刀 (dāo - knife). You can imagine the wind “scraping” across the landscape like a blade.
• 风 (fēng): This character means “wind.” The ancient form resembled a sail filled with wind. It represents the natural element itself.
• Together: 刮 (to blow/scrape) + 风 (wind) literally means “to blow wind.” This verb-object structure is very common for weather phenomena in Chinese.

While “windy” might seem like a simple weather condition, the concept of 风 (fēng) holds deeper meaning in Chinese culture. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), “wind” is considered one of the primary causes of illness. An external “wind-evil” (风邪 - fēngxié) can invade the body and cause ailments like the common cold, headaches, or even paralysis. This is why you'll often see Chinese people, especially older generations, meticulously covering their necks and heads on breezy days, even if it isn't particularly cold. Contrast this with the Western view, where wind is largely a meteorological phenomenon. We might say, “It's a bit breezy,” as a neutral observation. In China, someone might say “刮风了，快加件衣服 (Guā fēng le, kuài jiā jiàn yīfu)” - “It's gotten windy, hurry and add a layer of clothes,” which carries a subtle undertone of protecting one's health from the invasive nature of the wind. This reflects a cultural value of harmony with nature by taking preventative measures against its potentially disruptive forces.

刮风 (guā fēng) is a fundamental term for everyday conversation. It's informal and used by everyone, from children to grandparents.

• Describing the Weather: It's the standard way to state the current or forecasted weather. “今天刮风 (Jīntiān guā fēng)” - “It's windy today.”
• Stating Intensity: You can add adverbs before it, but it's more common to place an adjective between the two characters.
  • 刮大风 (guā dà fēng): To be very windy (literally “blow big wind”).
  • 刮小风 (guā xiǎo fēng): To be breezy (literally “blow small wind”).
• Indicating a Change: It's often paired with particles like 了 (le) to show that the wind has just started. “起风了 (qǐ fēng le)” or “刮风了 (guā fēng le)” both mean “It's started to get windy.”

The term is neutral, but the connotation depends on the context. A light breeze (刮小风) on a hot day is positive, while a strong wind (刮大风) during a typhoon is negative.

• Example 1:
  • 今天天气不好，一直在刮风。
  • Pinyin: Jīntiān tiānqì bù hǎo, yìzhí zài guā fēng.
  • English: The weather isn't good today; it's been windy the whole time.
  • Analysis: This shows 刮风 used to describe an ongoing state of weather. The phrase `一直在 (yìzhí zài)` means “continuously.”
• Example 2:
  • 明天会刮风吗？
  • Pinyin: Míngtiān huì guā fēng ma?
  • English: Will it be windy tomorrow?
  • Analysis: A simple and very common question using `会 (huì)` to ask about a future possibility.
• Example 3:
  • 外面刮大风了，你出门要小心。
  • Pinyin: Wàimiàn guā dà fēng le, nǐ chūmén yào xiǎoxīn.
  • English: It's gotten very windy outside, be careful when you go out.
  • Analysis: Here, `大 (dà)` is inserted between the characters to describe the intensity of the wind. This is a very natural and common construction.
• Example 4:
  • 因为刮风，我的帽子被吹走了。
  • Pinyin: Yīnwèi guā fēng, wǒ de màozi bèi chuī zǒu le.
  • English: Because it was windy, my hat was blown away.
  • Analysis: This sentence shows 刮风 as the reason for an event, using the `因为 (yīnwèi)` structure. It also introduces the passive voice with `被 (bèi)`.
• Example 5:
  • 我不喜欢刮风的天气。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ bù xǐhuān guā fēng de tiānqì.
  • English: I don't like windy weather.
  • Analysis: Here, 刮风 acts as a descriptor for `天气 (tiānqì - weather)` using the particle `的 (de)`.
• Example 6:
  • 秋天常常刮风，而且很干燥。
  • Pinyin: Qiūtiān chángcháng guā fēng, érqiě hěn gānzào.
  • English: It's often windy in the autumn, and it's also very dry.
  • Analysis: Using an adverb of frequency `常常 (chángcháng)` to describe a typical weather pattern for a season.
• Example 7:
  • 昨晚风刮得很大，我都没睡好。
  • Pinyin: Zuówǎn fēng guā de hěn dà, wǒ dōu méi shuì hǎo.
  • English: The wind was blowing very hard last night, I didn't sleep well at all.
  • Analysis: This is a crucial grammar point. To describe *how* the wind blows, you separate the verb and object: `风 (fēng)` becomes the subject, followed by the verb `刮 (guā)` and the complement `得很大 (de hěn dà)`.
• Example 8:
  • 天气预报说这个周末不但刮风，还会下雨。
  • Pinyin: Tiānqì yùbào shuō zhège zhōumò bùdàn guā fēng, hái huì xià yǔ.
  • English: The weather forecast says that this weekend it will not only be windy, but it will also rain.
  • Analysis: Demonstrates the useful `不但…还… (bùdàn…hái…)` pattern, meaning “not only…but also…”.
• Example 9:
  • 海边在刮风，我们去放风筝吧！
  • Pinyin: Hǎibiān zài guā fēng, wǒmen qù fàng fēngzheng ba!
  • English: It's windy at the seaside, let's go fly a kite!
  • Analysis: Shows a positive context for 刮风. The activity of flying a kite (`放风筝 - fàng fēngzheng`) requires wind.
• Example 10:
  • 别担心，只是在刮小风，没什么大不了的。
  • Pinyin: Bié dānxīn, zhǐshì zài guā xiǎo fēng, méi shénme dàbuliǎo de.
  • English: Don't worry, it's just a little breezy, it's no big deal.
  • Analysis: Using `小 (xiǎo)` to mean “a little” or “lightly.” `没什么大不了的 (méi shénme dàbuliǎo de)` is a great colloquial phrase for “it's not a big deal.”

The most common mistake for English speakers is treating 刮风 (guā fēng) like the English adjective “windy.”

• Mistake: Saying `今天很刮风 (Jīntiān hěn guā fēng)`.
  • Why it's wrong: `很 (hěn)` is an adverb of degree that modifies adjectives or psychological verbs. 刮风 is a verb-object phrase (an action). You can't be “very to-blow-wind.”
  • Correct way 1: To say “the wind is strong,” use the noun `风 (fēng)` and say: 今天风很大 (Jīntiān fēng hěn dà). (Literally: “Today the wind is very big.”)
  • Correct way 2: Use the structure from Example 7: 今天的风刮得很大 (Jīntiān de fēng guā de hěn dà). (Literally: “Today's wind blows very strongly.”)
  • Correct way 3: Use the compound form: 今天刮大风 (Jīntiān guā dà fēng). (Literally: “Today it is blowing big wind.”)

Remember the core difference: In English, “windy” is a state of being. In Chinese, 刮风 is an event that is happening.

• 风 (fēng) - The noun for “wind.” 刮风 is the action, 风 is the thing itself.
• 天气 (tiānqì) - The general word for “weather.”
• 下雨 (xià yǔ) - To rain. Another verb-object weather term, structured just like 刮风.
• 下雪 (xià xuě) - To snow. Same verb-object structure.
• 起风 (qǐ fēng) - A synonym that specifically means “for the wind to start blowing” or “to get windy.”
• 台风 (táifēng) - Typhoon. A very strong type of wind.
• 风和日丽 (fēng hé rì lì) - A four-character idiom describing perfect weather: “gentle breeze and beautiful sun.” The opposite of a 刮大风 day.
• 晴天 (qíngtiān) - Sunny day. Often a contrast to a windy or rainy day.
• 阴天 (yīntiān) - Overcast day.
• 龙卷风 (lóngjuǎnfēng) - Tornado (literally “dragon roll wind”).