Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 雪 | xuě | /ɕy̯ɛ²¹⁴/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Mainland China, standard, Taiwan, Sinological IPA) /ɕy̯ɛ⁵¹/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Taiwan, variant, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 雪 | seh, serh, soat | /seʔ³²/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Yilan, Taichung, Philippines, Singapore, Penang, Sinological IPA, Magong, Hsinchu) /seʔ³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Yilan, Taichung, Philippines, Singapore, Penang, Sinological IPA, Magong, Hsinchu) |
Hokkien |
The word 雪 refers to the crystalline state of water that falls from the atmosphere as precipitation, the act of these flakes falling or the white layer of accumulation on the ground. To express the verb 'to snow', you combine the verb 下 (to fall) with the noun 雪 to form 下雪. To describe a single snowflake, use 雪花, which literally means 'snow flower'.
What does it mean word for word?
The verb for 'to snow', 下雪, is composed of the verb 下 meaning 'to fall' or 'to descend' and the noun 雪 meaning 'snow'. The term for snowflake, 雪花, is composed of 雪 (snow) and 花 (flower).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Dungan, the word for snow is щүә. In Hokkien, the word is 雪.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When you want to announce that it has started snowing or that it is currently snowing, it is most natural to add the particle 了 to the verb phrase, resulting in 下雪了.
How do you pronounce it?
The Hokkien pronunciation of 雪 is seh, serh or soat.
Did you know?
- In Chinese culture, the phrase 雪中送炭 means 'sending charcoal in the snow' and is used to describe helping someone in a time of desperate need.
- The character 雪 originally included the symbol for 'rain' 雨 at the top and the symbol for a 'broom' 彗 at the bottom. This suggests a visual link between falling snow and the sweeping motion of a broom.
- While the word 雪 refers to the weather, it is also used in the phrase 雪耻 to mean 'wiping away a disgrace' or 'avenging a humiliation'.
Examples in context
- 瑞雪兆丰年。A timely snow promises a good harvest.This sentence shows how '雪' is used in a proverb about a timely snow promising a good harvest.Tatoeba #4515801 by ekgermana, translation #4728166 by paper1n0
- 我很喜歡雪。I like snow a lot.This sentence uses '雪' to express a personal preference for snow.Tatoeba #6994073 by verdastelo9604, translation #758154 by Zifre
- 雪是粉状的。The snow was powdery.This sentence uses '雪' to describe the texture of the snow.Tatoeba #12047754 by yw_0611, translation #2335854 by Hybrid
- 明天会下雪。It will snow tomorrow.
- 126 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are looking out the window at the winter weather.
- 浩然 Haoran外面在下雪了！Wàimiàn zài xià xuě le!It is snowing outside!
- 佳怡 Jiayi真的，雪好漂亮。Zhēnde, xuě hǎo piàoliang.Really, the snow is so beautiful.
- 浩然 Haoran我們去堆雪人吧。Wǒmen qù duī xuěrén ba.Let's go build a snowman.
- 佳怡 Jiayi好，我快去穿衣服。Hǎo, wǒ kuài qù chuān yīfu.Okay, I'll go put on my clothes quickly.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “snow” translations and entries 雪, 雪, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
