Dothraki Words for Weather and Seasons — Vocabulary of the Grass Sea

Dothraki Weather and Seasons Vocabulary

Quick Answer: The Dothraki live under open sky — their weather vocabulary is precise but organized differently than English. Sun = shekh. Moon = jalan. Wind = asavva. Storm = ovro. Rain = evethi-vest (sky-water). Lightning = vorsajak (fire-sky). They don't have 4 European-style seasons — they mark time by riding cycles (asshekh shori) and grass conditions (rhae, vez). Full vocabulary + idioms below.

If you live on horseback under the open sky, weather isn't decoration — it's survival. Dothraki weather vocabulary reflects this: precise, practical, and embedded with the spiritual significance of life on the Great Grass Sea.

This guide covers every Dothraki word for sky, sun, wind, rain, season, and time, with pronunciation, idiomatic uses, and context from Game of Thrones. For broader Dothraki vocabulary see Dothraki vocabulary list — 100 words.

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The sky and the sun

Dothraki	Pronunciation	English	Notes
evethi	eh-VETH-ee	Sky	Literally "of-water" — the Dothraki see sky as sea-of-air
shekh	SHEHK	Sun	Sacred — the eye of the Stallion-god
jalan	JAH-lan	Moon	Lunar cycles drive Dothraki calendar
shieraki	shee-EH-rah-kee	Star (and eye)	Same word for both — "eye in the sky"
shieraki gori	shee-EH-rah-kee GOR-ee	Stars rage	An omen of doom
vorsa	VOR-sah	Fire	Used for sun, lightning, cooking fire

The most famous Dothraki weather word is shekh — because Khal Drogo's pet name for Daenerys is "shekh ma shieraki anni" — "my sun and stars." It's also her formal title across the show.

For more on this title's deep meaning: Khaleesi meaning in Dothraki and Khal Drogo quotes — 50 best.

Sky idioms

Dothraki	Literal	Real meaning
Shekh dothrae jalanaan	"Sun rides toward moon"	Day passes into night
Evethi gorea	"Sky is angry"	A storm is coming
Shieraki gori ha yeraan	"Stars rage at you"	An omen of doom on someone
Shekh ma shieraki anni	"My sun and stars"	The standard term of endearment
Jalan atthirari anni	"Moon of my life"	Said by a wife to her husband (or Daenerys to Drogo)

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Wind and air

The Dothraki distinguish many kinds of wind. Each has spiritual significance.

Dothraki	Pronunciation	English
asavva	ah-SAH-vah	Wind (general)
asavva fini	ah-SAH-vah FEE-nee	First wind (dawn breeze)
thirat	THEE-raht	Whispering wind
ovro	OH-vroh	Storm wind
asavva vezh	ah-SAH-vah VEZH	Stallion wind (the strong wind of the great gallop)
kifindiri	kee-FIN-dee-ree	Breath (of wind, of fire, of a horse)
zhokwafiri	zhok-wah-FEE-ree	Breath-from-the-belly (stinking wind, foul air)

The Dothraki believe wind is the breath of the Great Stallion, the god above their pantheon. The first wind of the morning (asavva fini) is when rituals begin, oaths are sworn, and khals receive omens.

Wind idioms

Dothraki	Real meaning
Asavva nakhaan i shekh	"Wind eats the sun" — a sandstorm
Thirat alegrasi	"The wind speaks well" — a good omen for travel
Ovro indemmana	"Storm at the door" — danger approaching
Asavva jalanaan	"Wind to the moon" — said when releasing something to fate

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Rain and weather events

The Dothraki regard rain as the least sacred form of water — proper water flows in rivers, not falls from the sky. The vocabulary reflects this slight contempt.

Dothraki	Pronunciation	English
evethi-vest	eh-VETH-ee VEST	Rain (literally "sky-water")
evethi-vest azh	eh-VETH-ee VEST AZH	Heavy rain
vorsajak	vor-sah-JAK	Lightning (literally "fire-sky")
yathokrazma	yah-thok-RAZ-mah	Thunder (literally "great voice")
gloss	GLOSS	Snow (rare in Dothraki lands — borrowed term)
shor	SHOR	Cold
vezzi	VEZ-zee	Frost
vez	VEZ	Drought / dry season
evethi-rhae	eh-VETH-ee RYE	Fog (literally "sky-grass" — when the sky reaches down)

Weather event idioms

Dothraki	Real meaning
Evethi-vest dothrae	"Sky-water rides" — a long rain
Vorsajak chakat	"Lightning curses" — the storm is dangerous
Yathokrazma yer	"Great voice speaks of you" — omen during thunder
Vez kashi	"Drought stays" — extended dry period
Evethi-rhae mr'asavva	"Fog with wind" — dangerous, scouts can't see

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The seasons — Dothraki cycle vocabulary

The Dothraki do not have a four-season calendar like Europeans. Their year is organized by:

1. Asshekh shori — "the long ride"

The riding season when grass is plentiful. Roughly corresponds to late spring through autumn. Khalasars move constantly, hunting and conquering.

2. Vorsa-aski — "fire-rest"

The winter period when khalasars camp longer, build larger fires, eat preserved foods. Not a single date — different khalasars settle at different points based on grass conditions.

3. Vez — "the dry"

Drought period. Can happen at any time but most often after a long asshekh shori. The most dangerous Dothraki time — grass dies, horses weaken, raids become desperate.

4. Rhae — "the lands" (when grass grows)

Spring fresh-grass period after rains. Migration to new grazing begins. Many khalasars choose this period for weddings, blood-brotherhood rituals, and dosh khaleen council meetings.

Season	Dothraki	Pronunciation	Approximate English
Long ride	asshekh shori	ah-SHEHK SHOR-ee	Summer-autumn
Fire-rest	vorsa-aski	VOR-sah AS-kee	Winter
The dry	vez	VEZ	Drought
The lands	rhae	RYE	Spring

Time-of-day vocabulary

The Dothraki also have specific day-period words:

Dothraki	Pronunciation	English
asshekh	ah-SHEHK	Day / today
asshekh fini	ah-SHEHK FEE-nee	First day / morning
shekh meliki	SHEHK meh-LEE-kee	Sun-high (noon)
vorsadakh	vor-sah-DAKH	Sun-down (sunset / evening)
ajjalan	aj-JAH-lan	Tonight
jalan-akkaan	JAH-lan ak-KAH-an	Moon-high (midnight)
shekh fini	SHEHK FEE-nee	First sun (dawn)
vorsakhi	vor-sah-KHEE	Day's end

For more on Dothraki greetings tied to time-of-day: Dothraki greetings complete guide.

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Dothraki weather phrases for travel

If you're roleplaying or writing Dothraki dialogue about a journey:

Hash asavva alegri? — "Is the wind good?" (Asking about weather for departure)

Asavva fini, ezok! — "First wind — we go!" (Departure cry at dawn)

Evethi gorea, ass! — "Sky is angry — halt!" (Stopping for a storm)

Shekh ondee — qazerya! — "Sun is risen — saddle up!"

Vorsajak jaday — atak! — "Lightning falls — take cover!"

Vez kashi — qoy oma akkat! — "Drought stays — we drink blood-water tonight."

Athiravar evethi-rhae, vekh! — "Sit and wait, fog with wind."

Rhae mr'asshekh — atyolat! — "Grass with day — we hunt!"

For more travel and combat vocabulary: Dothraki battle cries from Game of Thrones.

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Weather omens — Dothraki belief

In Dothraki belief, weather is the direct expression of the Great Stallion. Specific weather events are interpreted as omens.

Good omens

• Shekh ondee mr'asavva fini — "Sun rises with first wind" → divine favor; good day for raids/oaths
• Asavva vezh — "Stallion wind" → blessing on a horse-related decision (marriage, herd splitting)
• Evethi alegri — "Sky is well" → general blessing

Bad omens

• Shieraki gori — "Stars rage" → doom; postpone major decisions
• Vorsajak ha yeraan — "Lightning at you" → personal doom; a specific Dothraki under threat
• Yathokrazma me hoshi — "Thunder is silent" → false calm; danger hiding
• Vez ezo — "Drought salts" → famine coming

The dosh khaleen (council of widowed khaleesi at Vaes Dothrak) are responsible for interpreting major omens. A single ill-timed shieraki gori (raging star, i.e., a comet or meteor) can pause a major war.

For more on Dothraki religious vocabulary: Dothraki proverbs.

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Vocabulary checklist — 25 essential weather words

For quick reference:

1. evethi — sky
2. shekh — sun
3. jalan — moon
4. shieraki — star (and eye)
5. vorsa — fire
6. asavva — wind
7. thirat — whispering wind
8. ovro — storm wind
9. evethi-vest — rain (sky-water)
10. vorsajak — lightning (fire-sky)
11. yathokrazma — thunder (great voice)
12. gloss — snow
13. shor — cold
14. vez — drought
15. rhae — grass / spring lands
16. asshekh shori — long ride (summer-autumn)
17. vorsa-aski — fire-rest (winter)
18. evethi-rhae — fog (sky-grass)
19. kifindiri — breath
20. asshekh — day
21. ajjalan — tonight
22. shekh fini — dawn
23. vorsadakh — sunset
24. shekh ondee — sun is risen
25. evethi gorea — sky is angry (storm coming)

For broader vocabulary see Dothraki vocabulary list.

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The weather vocabulary and the show

Most Dothraki weather words don't appear in Game of Thrones dialogue — the show wisely focused on combat and political vocabulary. But two appear repeatedly:

Shekh (sun)

In "shekh ma shieraki anni" — Drogo's title for Daenerys. This is the only weather-vocab word the casual GoT viewer recognizes.

Jalan (moon)

In "jalan atthirari anni" — Daenerys's title for Drogo. The companion phrase.

The rest of the weather vocabulary (storms, drought, lightning, fog) is built primarily for expanded fiction and roleplay. If House of the Dragon ever ventures east, expect these to surface — when a Dothraki ko reports weather conditions to a khal, this is the vocabulary they use.

For more on the HotD-Dothraki connection: House of the Dragon × Dothraki connections.

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Comparison — Dothraki vs Elvish weather vocabulary

For language nerds:

Concept	Dothraki	Elvish (Sindarin)	Notable
Sun	shekh	Anor	Dothraki is monosyllabic; Sindarin has prefix-rich derivations
Moon	jalan	Ithil	Both 2 syllables but very different sounds
Wind	asavva	gwaew	Dothraki uses long-A pattern; Sindarin uses the W-cluster
Storm	ovro	alagos	Dothraki short-V; Sindarin uses prefix al- for many sky events
Rain	evethi-vest	gloss	Dothraki is compound; Sindarin is unitary
Lightning	vorsajak	ruith	Dothraki compounds fire+sky; Sindarin has single root

These differences reflect deliberate conlang design choices. Peterson built Dothraki to feel "horse-people" — short, punchy syllables, lots of compounding to avoid abstract single-word concepts. Tolkien built Sindarin to feel "high European elven" — long melodic words, single roots, abstract concept-words.

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Further reading

• Dothraki vocabulary list — 100 words — broader vocab
• Dothraki greetings complete guide — time-of-day phrases
• Dothraki language basics — grammar context
• Dothraki horse vocabulary — companion theme
• Dothraki body parts and anatomy vocabulary — themed vocab
• Dothraki food and cooking words — daily life
• Dothraki battle cries — combat language
• Khaleesi meaning — for shekh / jalan context

Asavva fini, ezok! — First wind, we go!