หิมะ
hì-má/hi˨˩.maʔ˦˥/
หิมะ (hì-má) is the Thai word for snow.
The word หิมะ is a noun used to describe the crystalline state of frozen water that falls from the atmosphere as flakes, the falling of these flakes or the accumulation of snow as a white layer on the ground.
Meaning: partly frozen, crystalline state of water that falls from the atmosphere as precipitation in flakes, falling of such flakes, accumulation of them as a white layer (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables: hì-má.
Did you know?
- The word หิมะ shares its roots with the word 'Himalayas', the name of the world's highest mountain range, which literally translates to 'Abode of Snow' in Sanskrit.
- Because snow is not a native weather phenomenon in Thailand, the word หิมะ is almost exclusively encountered in literature, movies, or discussions about cold climates rather than daily conversation.
- While 'snow' is หิมะ, the term for a 'snowflake' in Thai is often more descriptive, using phrases that describe 'white pieces of ice' rather than a single dedicated noun.
Examples in context
- ทำไมหิมะมีสีขาวWhy is snow white?This example is useful for asking about the color of the หิมะ.Tatoeba #10189699 by Somsak, translation #749959 by CM
- หิมะละลายไปหมดแล้วThe snow has all melted away.This example is useful for describing the melting of the หิมะ.Tatoeba #10487285 by Somsak, translation #9806695 by CK
- รถไฟล่าช้าเพราะหิมะThe train was delayed by snow.This example is useful for explaining how หิมะ can cause delays.Tatoeba #10289068 by Somsak, translation #326242 by CK
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their upcoming trip to a cold country.
- ธนกฤต Thanakritที่นี่มีหิมะตกด้วยไหมthi ni mi hima tok duai maiIs there snow falling here too?
- สิรินทร์ Sirinมีหิมะตกหนักมากเลยค่ะmi hima tok nak mak loei khaThere is a lot of heavy snow falling.
- ธนกฤต Thanakritผมอยากเห็นหิมะจริงๆphom yak hen hima ching chingI really want to see the snow.
- สิรินทร์ Sirinคุณธนกฤตต้องชอบแน่ๆ เลยค่ะkhun thanakrit tong chop nae nae loei khaYou will definitely like it, Thanakrit.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “snow” translations and entries หิมะ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries หิมะ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
