雪人
xuěrén
The English phrase "snowman" is 雪人 (xuěrén) in Chinese.
雪人 refers to a figure made of snow. When you want to express the action of building or making a snowman, use the verb 堆 (duī), which means to pile up or heap, to form the phrase 堆雪人.
Meaning: figure made of snow (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
雪人 is a compound of 雪, meaning "snow" and 人, meaning "person".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Cantonese, the variant 雪公仔 (meaning "snow doll") is commonly used to refer to a snowman.
How do you pronounce it?
xuěrén
Did you know?
- In many Chinese regions, the concept of a 'snow person' is a relatively modern cultural import, often appearing in children's books rather than traditional folklore.
- The character 雪 (xuě) is often used in Chinese names to imply purity or elegance, much like how 'snow' might be used in English literature.
- The 'abominable snowman' is known as 雪人 or 雪怪, where 怪 means 'monster'. This creates a linguistic link between a friendly winter craft and a terrifying cryptid.
Examples in context
- 如果明天下雪，我就要做雪人。If it snows tomorrow, I'm going to build a snowman.This sentence shows how to express the intention to build a 雪人 if it snows.Tatoeba #13187207 by LeviHighway, translation #13589848 by LeviHighway
- 我聽說他們在喜馬拉雅山脈發現了雪人的腳印。I heard that they found the footprints of an abominable snowman in the Himalayas.This sentence uses 雪人 to refer to the footprints of an abominable snowman.Tatoeba #13575822 by LeviHighway, translation #2946725 by CK
- 我在堆雪人。I'm making a snowman.This sentence shows the verb phrase for making a 雪人.Tatoeba #8858220 by iiujik, translation #3820743 by CK
- 我今天在后院堆了一个雪人。I built a snowman in the backyard today.
- 让我们一起去堆个雪宝宝吧！Let's go build a snowman together!
- 今年冬天我们一起去堆雪公仔好不好？Shall we build a snowman together this winter?
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are looking at the snow outside.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen快看！那个雪人好可爱。Kuài kàn! Nàge xuěrén hǎo kě'ài.Look! That snowman is so cute.
- 伟 Wei是谁在院子里堆了雪人？Shì shéi zài yuànzi lǐ duīle xuěrén?Who built a snowman in the yard?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen可能是伟的孩子们做的。Kěnéng shì Wěi de háizimen zuò de.Maybe Wei's children made it.
- 伟 Wei我们一起给它戴个帽子吧。Wǒmen yīqǐ gěi tā dài gè màozi ba.Let's put a hat on it together.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “snowman” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
