NetChai Chinese

How to Say “Snow” in Chinese

雪
xuě
Snow
A person gazes out a window at falling snow, illustrating “snow” in Chinese: 雪 (xuě)

雪 (xuě) is the word for snow. It is commonly used to refer to the frozen precipitation itself, and also appears in many related phrases. When you want to say “it’s snowing,” you use the verb 下 (xià), meaning “to fall,” just as you would for rain.

What does 雪 (xuě) mean?

雪 (xuě) means “snow” in English.

When to use it

Neutral and widely applicable. It is a simple noun that can be used in any context.

How to pronounce it

Sounds like “shweh,” said with a low dipping tone (third tone).

Other ways to say it

  • 下雪了xiàxuě leIt's snowing!
  • 雪人xuěrénsnowman
  • 打雪仗dǎ xuězhàngto have a snowball fight

Examples

外面下雪了,好冷啊!
wàimiàn xiàxuě le, hǎo lěng a!
It's snowing outside, so cold!
我喜欢冬天,因为可以堆雪人。
wǒ xǐhuan dōngtiān, yīnwèi kěyǐ duī xuěrén.
I like winter because I can build a snowman.
今天下了很大的雪。
jīntiān xià le hěn dà de xuě.
There was heavy snow today.
Pro tip: To say “it’s snowing,” use the verb 下 (xià, to fall): 下雪了 (xiàxuě le), just like 下雨了 (it’s raining).

Related phrases

冬天 · Winter外面很冷 · It's cold outside圣诞节 · Christmas
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