下冰雹
xià bīngbáo
In Mandarin, hailing is expressed as 下冰雹 (xià bīngbáo).
The phrase describes the act of small balls of ice falling from the sky during a storm.
What does it mean word for word?
下冰雹 is composed of the verb 下 (xià), meaning 'to fall' or 'to descend' and the noun 冰雹 (bīngbáo), meaning 'hail'.
Which one should you use?
You can use 冰雹来了 (bīng báo lái le) informally to mean 'hail is coming' or 冰雹下得好大 (bīng báo xià dé hǎo dà) informally to emphasize that the hailing is very heavy.
How do you pronounce it?
xià bīngbáo
Did you know?
- In Chinese folk belief, sudden 冰雹 was historically sometimes interpreted as a sign of divine displeasure or a warning of impending social upheaval.
- In many Chinese dialects, including some forms of Mandarin, people might use the term 打雹 (dǎ báo) instead of 下冰雹. The verb 打 usually means 'to hit' or 'to strike', suggesting the ice is actively striking the ground.
- When describing an intense hailstorm, instead of just saying it is 'large' with 大 (dà), locals might use 猛 (měng). This adjective means 'fierce' or 'violent', personifying the storm as a powerful force.
Examples in context
- 下冰雹了！It's hailing!This sentence is useful for expressing that it is currently hailing using 下冰雹.Tatoeba #9992079 by GlossaMatik, translation #10251064 by bekindtoall
- 听说明天可能下冰雹，大家要注意安全啊！(Tīng shuō míng tiān kě néng xià bīng báo, dà jiā yào zhù yì ā!)I heard it might hail tomorrow, everyone, please be careful!
- 刚才突然开始下冰雹了。Gāngcái tūrán kāishǐ xià bīngbáo le.It suddenly started hailing just now.
- 外面正在下冰雹，别出门。Wàimiàn zhèngzài xià bīngbáo, bié chūmén.It is hailing outside, don't go out.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking on the phone during a storm.
- 欣怡 Xinyi外面在下冰雹吗？Wàimiàn zài xià bīngbáo ma?Is it hailing outside?
- 俊杰 Junjie是的，正在下冰雹。Shì de, zhèngzài xià bīngbáo.Yes, it is hailing.
- 欣怡 Xinyi那我就不去了。Nà wǒ jiù bù qù le.Then I won't go.
- 俊杰 Junjie好，那你在家注意安全。Hǎo, nà nǐ zài jiā zhùyì ānquán.Okay, stay safe at home then.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
