1.
chilly, slightly cold, cool enough to feel on the skin
A mild degree of cold felt on the skin, typically describing weather or air temperature. Conveys a sensation milder than 寒い (cold) — the kind of chill that makes you want a light jacket.
今朝は肌寒い。
It's chilly this morning.
秋になると朝晩は肌寒くなる。
When autumn comes, mornings and evenings become chilly.
肌寒い風が吹いていたので、カーディガンを羽織った。
A chilly breeze was blowing, so I threw on a cardigan.
READING NOTE:
This word has two readings: 肌寒い and 肌寒い. Both are correct and widely used. This entry covers the はだざむい reading.
USAGE:
肌寒い describes a subtle, skin-level chill — not deep cold, but enough to notice. It is a seasonal word often associated with early autumn or late spring, when daytime is warm but mornings and evenings are cool.
Compared to 寒い (cold), 肌寒い is milder and more specific to the sensation on the skin. Compared to 涼しい (cool, refreshing), 肌寒い has a slightly unpleasant nuance — not refreshing, but uncomfortably cool.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 肌寒い朝: a chilly morning
- 肌寒い風: a chilly breeze
- 肌寒い季節: the chilly season
- 肌寒く感じる: to feel chilly