1.
steady rain; real downpour
Rain that has settled in and is falling continuously and heavily, as opposed to a light drizzle or brief shower.
雨が本降りになってきた。
The rain has started coming down steadily.
午後から本降りになるらしいから、傘を持っていこう。
It seems it'll start raining heavily from the afternoon, so let's bring umbrellas.
小雨だと思っていたら、あっという間に本降りになって全身ずぶ濡れになった。
I thought it was just a light rain, but before I knew it, it turned into a downpour and I got soaked from head to toe.
Composed of 本 (real, genuine) + 降り (falling, from 降る). Describes rain that has moved beyond a drizzle and is now falling steadily and seriously. Often used with なる to describe the transition from lighter rain.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 本降りになる: to turn into steady rain
- 本降りの雨: steady, heavy rain
- 朝から本降り: raining steadily since morning
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 小雨: light rain, drizzle — much lighter than 本降り
- 大雨: heavy rain — even heavier, can imply danger or warnings
- 土砂降り: torrential rain, downpour — the heaviest level of rain
- 霧雨: misty rain, fine drizzle — very light, almost like mist