Definitions

xuě (noun) snow
xuě (verb) to wipe away; to clear

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character 雪, representing snow, is formed from the rain radical 雨 positioned above the component 彐, a structure that etymologically implies a connection between snowfall and the act of sweeping or cleansing, as early conceptions viewed snow as something that could be brushed aside. This compositional choice semantically categorizes it within atmospheric phenomena while suggesting an ancillary notion of purification through its secondary element. Over time, its core meaning has steadfastly referred to frozen precipitation, yet it has also developed extended metaphorical applications in literary and colloquial usage, such as in expressions denoting the clearing of wrongs or the avenging of grievances, where it functions to convey a sense of wiping away or refreshing, thus broadening its original lexical scope through associative qualities attributed to snow's transformative effect on the landscape.

Etymology Hide

Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

今天正在下

Jīntiān zhèngzài xià xuě.

It is snowing today.

是白色的。

Xuě shì báisè de.

Snow is white.

地上覆盖着

Dìshàng fùgàizhe xuě.

The ground is covered with snow.

孩子们在玩

Háizimen zài wán xuě.

The children are playing in the snow.

花从天上飘落。

Xuěhuā cóng tiānshàng piāoluò.

Snowflakes are falling from the sky.

他非常喜欢滑运动。

Tā fēicháng xǐhuān huáxuě yùndòng.

He really likes skiing sports.

过后,城市变得安静。

Dà xuě guòhòu, chéngshì biàn de ānjìng.

After the heavy snow, the city becomes quiet.

是由水蒸气凝固而成的。

Xuě shì yóu shuǐzhēngqì nínggù ér chéng de.

Snow is formed by water vapor solidifying.