Weather & Climate

1. ᓯᓚ ᖃᓄᐃᑉᐸ?

   Si-la qa-nu-ip-pa?

   What's the weather like?

   Usage

   The basic way to ask about the weather, also by phone about someone's town

   Grammar Note

   Sila means weather or the outdoors; weather questions take the form sila qanuippa?

2. ᓯᓚᑦᓯᐊᖅ.

   Si-lat-si-aq.

   It's nice weather.

   Usage

   Says that the weather is nice. Silatsiaq is a noun for good weather

   Grammar Note

   Bad weather is silakammak. Sila piuppat means "if the weather is good"

3. ᓯᓚᑲᒻᒪᒃ.

   Si-la-kam-mak.

   It's bad weather.

   Usage

   Describes bad weather. Stormy weather is sunnaittuq

   Grammar Note

   A noun built on sila ("weather"). It works as the opposite of nice weather

4. ᓱᓐᓇᐃᑦᑐᖅ.

   Sun-na-it-tuq.

   It's stormy.

   Usage

   Describes stormy weather, often heard when boat or flight plans are discussed

   Grammar Note

   The ending -tuq means "it is ..."

5. ᐅᖅᑰᔪᖅ.

   Uq-kuu-juq.

   It's warm weather.

   Usage

   Describes a warm day. When you yourself feel hot, say uqquujunga

   Grammar Note

   Uqquujunga means "I am hot" and uqquuviit? asks "are you hot?"

6. ᓂᓪᓚᓱᒃᑐᖅ.

   Nil-la-suk-tuq.

   It's cold.

   Usage

   Says that the weather is cold

   Grammar Note

   To ask whether someone feels cold use a different word, qiuvit? ("are you cold?")

7. ᕿᐅᕕᑦ?

   Qi-u-vit?

   Are you cold?

   Usage

   A caring question when someone looks cold. The answer qiunngittunga means "I am not cold"

   Grammar Note

   The ending -vit asks "are you ...?". The negative is qiunngittunga

8. ᓯᓚᓗᑦᑐᖅ.

   Si-la-lut-tuq.

   It's raining.

   Usage

   Said when it is raining

   Grammar Note

   A verb built on sila ("weather"). Snow has its own verb, qanniqtuq

9. ᖃᓐᓂᖅᑐᖅ.

   Qan-niq-tuq.

   It's snowing.

   Usage

   Said when it is snowing. Snow lying on the ground is aput

   Grammar Note

   The question is qanniqqa? ("is it snowing?"). Qaniqqat means "if it snows"

10. ᖃᓐᓂᖅᑲ?

    Qan-niq-ka?

    Is it snowing?

    Usage

    Used for example to ask about conditions by phone. Answer ii or aagga

    Grammar Note

    The ending -qqa (syllabics ᖅᑲ, written q-ka in this app) makes a question about a third party, as in utilaaqqa? too

11. ᐊᐳᑦ

    A-put

    Snow (on the ground)

    Usage

    Names snow lying on the ground. Do not confuse it with auk, "blood"

    Grammar Note

    Falling snow is qanniqtuq, and apijuq means that snow falls and covers the ground

12. ᐊᓄᕌᖅᑐᖅ.

    A-nu-raaq-tuq.

    It's windy.

    Usage

    Said when the wind is blowing

    Grammar Note

    Anuraaqtuq means "it is windy". Anuraalliujjaujuq means being caught in heavy winds

13. ᐱᖅᓯᖅᑐᖅ.

    Piq-siq-tuq.

    There's a blizzard.

    Usage

    Said when a blizzard is blowing, normally a reason to stay in

    Grammar Note

    The question is piqsiqqa? ("is there a blizzard?") and the negative is piqsinngittuq

14. ᐱᖅᓯᖅᑲ ᐃᖃᓗᓐᓂ?

    Piq-siq-ka i-qa-lun-ni?

    Is there a blizzard in Iqaluit?

    Usage

    Asks about the weather in another town. Swap the place name

    Grammar Note

    The locative ending turns Iqaluit into Iqalunni ("in Iqaluit"); "to Iqaluit" is Iqalunnut

15. ᑕᑦᓯᖅᑐᖅ.

    Tat-siq-tuq.

    It's foggy.

    Usage

    Said when fog reduces visibility. Ice fog is patuttuq

    Grammar Note

    Low-visibility weather in general is nittaittuq

16. ᓄᕗᔭᔪᖅ.

    Nu-vu-ja-juq.

    It's cloudy.

    Usage

    Said when clouds cover the sky. Nuvuja means "cloud"

    Grammar Note

    Nuvuja ("cloud") with a verb ending. Do not confuse it with nuvua ("point of land")

17. ᓯᕿᓐᓂᖅᑐᖅ.

    Si-qin-niq-tuq.

    It's sunny.

    Usage

    Said when the sun is shining. Siqiniq means "sun"

    Grammar Note

    The negative is siqinningittuq ("the sun is not shining")

18. ᖃᐅᑉᐸᑦ ᓯᓚ ᐱᐅᑉᐸᑦ.

    Qa-up-pat si-la pi-up-pat.

    Tomorrow, if the weather is good.

    Usage

    Makes a plan depend on the weather, common for boat and hunting trips

    Grammar Note

    The ending -ppat means "if". Sila piuppat is "if the weather is good"

19. ᐅᐱᕐᖔᖅ

    U-pir-ngaaq

    Spring

    Usage

    Names a season

    Grammar Note

    A noun that works alone. Summer is aujaq, autumn ukiaq and winter ukiuq

20. ᐊᐅᔭᖅ

    A-u-jaq

    Summer

    Usage

    Names a season. "Every summer" is aujatamaat

    Grammar Note

    A noun that works alone

21. ᐅᑭᐊᖅ

    U-ki-aq

    Autumn

    Usage

    Names a season

    Grammar Note

    It is close in spelling to ukiuq ("winter"), so do not mix them up

22. ᐅᑭᐅᖅ

    U-ki-uq

    Winter

    Usage

    Names a season. "All winter" is ukiulimaaq

    Grammar Note

    It is close in spelling to ukiaq ("autumn"), so do not mix them up

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