寒い場所

Using this phrase is as easy as pie. You just take the adjective 寒い and stick it right in front of the noun 場所. You can use it to describe your travel plans, complain about your office's aggressive air conditioning, or warn a friend about a drafty hallway. If you want to sound a bit more casual in conversation, you might swap 場所 for 所 (tokoro), which also means place but feels a bit softer. For example, 寒い所は苦手です (I’m not good with cold places) is a classic line for anyone who prefers the beach over the ski slopes.

You will find yourself using this phrase often when discussing geography or weather. If you are planning a trip to Hokkaido in January, you are definitely headed to a 寒い場所. It is also perfect for practical situations. Imagine you are at a restaurant and the vent is blowing right on you—you might ask to move away from that 寒い場所. It’s useful for texting friends about meeting points too, like 'Don't wait in that cold place, come inside!'

Don't use this phrase when you are talking about objects. If you are looking for the refrigerated section in a grocery store to find milk, you wouldn't usually call it a 寒い場所; you’d look for the 冷蔵コーナー (reizo kona). Also, avoid using it to describe a person’s personality. If someone is being 'cold' or distant, the word is 冷たい (tsumetai), not 寒い. Calling someone a 寒い場所 would make them sound like they are literally a walk-in freezer, which might be a bit too much of a metaphor for a casual chat!

Japan is a country that obsesses over the seasons. Because much of Japan gets quite chilly in the winter, there is a whole culture built around avoiding 寒い場所. This is why the kotatsu (heated table) is so beloved—it creates a tiny, warm oasis in an otherwise 寒い場所 (traditional Japanese houses often lack central heating). There is also a deep appreciation for the beauty of cold places, like the famous 'snow monsters' (frozen trees) in Zao. Being able to describe these locations is key to participating in the seasonal small talk that keeps Japanese society humming.

You will often hear 寒いところ (samui tokoro) in daily speech. It means the exact same thing but feels slightly less 'dictionary-like.' You might also hear 極寒の地 (gokkan no chi) if someone is being dramatic about a 'land of extreme cold.' On the flip side, if a place is just pleasantly cool rather than shivering-cold, you would use 涼しい場所 (suzushii basho).