What’s the Difference Between “Zaa Zaa” and “Shito Shito” in Japanese?

Have you ever listened to heavy rain pouring down outside?

Or watched a gentle rain quietly falling over a garden?

In Japanese, these two kinds of rain are expressed with very different sounds:

Zaa Zaa (ざぁざぁ)

あわせて読みたい

What Is “Zaa Zaa”? The Japanese Sound of Pouring Rain Ever watched the rain fall so hard that it drowns out all other sounds?Or felt that steady rhythm of a downpour on your umbrella or window? That’s when the J…

Shito Shito (しとしと)

あわせて読みたい

What Is “Shito Shito”? The Japanese Sound of Gentle, Continuous Rain Ever sat by the window on a quiet afternoon, hearing soft raindrops fall without pause?Or walked under an umbrella, listening to the light, steady rhythm of …

They both describe rain, but the strength, sound, and atmosphere are quite different.

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Differences Between “Zaa Zaa” and “Shito Shito”

In short:

• Zaa zaa → heavy rain you can clearly hear
• Shito shito → gentle rain that falls quietly and steadily

Examples in Daily Life

Example 1: Watching heavy rain (Zaa Zaa)

The bear and rabbit sat by the open window,
watching the heavy rain pour into the garden —

zaa zaa…

Example 2: Watching gentle rain (Shito Shito)

The bear and rabbit quietly watched the garden,
as a soft, steady rain fell over the hydrangeas —

shito shito…

Try Using Them!

Rain pouring down loudly outside?
→ Say zaa zaa

Soft rain quietly falling for a while?
→ Say shito shito

Same rainy day —
but a completely different sound and atmosphere!

Explore More: Comparison Series