多云
duō yún
The English phrase 'partly cloudy' is translated into Chinese as 多云 (duō yún).
多云 is used to describe a weather condition where the sky is partially covered by clouds.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 多 (duō), meaning 'many' and 云 (yún), meaning 'clouds'.
Which one should you use?
While 多云 is the standard term for 'cloudy', the more precise meteorological term for 'partly cloudy' (implying sunny intervals) is 晴间多云. If the sky is completely covered by clouds and there is no sun, use 阴 instead of 多云.
How do you pronounce it?
duō yún
Did you know?
- In ancient Chinese cosmology, clouds 云 were seen as the physical manifestation of 气 or 'qi', the vital energy that flows through all living things.
- While 多云 is neutral, using the word 阴 for 'overcast' can also describe the 'Yin' side of a mountain or the shady side of a street.
- The character 云 is a pictograph that originally looked like a curling wisp of vapor, which is still visible in its traditional script form.
Examples in context
- 今天的天气晴间多云。It is partly cloudy today.This sentence shows how to use 多云 to describe today's weather.Tatoeba #3608135 by trieuho, translation #3633993 by mingzhouren
- 部分有云。It's partly cloudy.
- 天空有几朵零星的云，真美。The sky is so beautiful with a few scattered clouds.
- 今天有点儿多云。It's a little bit cloudy today.
- 明天是多云天气。Míngtiān shì duōyún tiānqì.Tomorrow will be partly cloudy weather.
- 天空多云，不太热。Tiānkōng duōyún, bú tài rè.It is partly cloudy, so it is not too hot.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
