雪山 (xuě shān) — snow-capped mountain | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A mountain permanently capped with snow. 山峰 is any mountain peak (with or without snow).

noun

snow-capped mountain

Measure word · 座

Examples

，雪山。
Zhàn zài shān dǐng shàng, yuǎn chù de xuě shān zài yáng guāng xià shǎn shǎn fā guāng.
Standing on the mountaintop, the snow-capped mountain in the distance glistened in the sunlight.
，雪山。
Měi nián dōng tiān, hěn duō dēng shān ài hào zhě lái tiǎo zhàn zhè zuò xuě shān.
Every winter, many mountaineers come to challenge this snow-capped mountain.
雪山。
Zhè zhāng zhào piàn pāi de shì shì jiè zuì gāo de xuě shān zhī yī.
This photo captures one of the world's highest snow-capped mountains.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

山shānmountain

雪 (snow) and 山 (mountain) show a mountain covered in snow.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

雨雨yǔrain

Sound part声符shēngfú

彗

彗huì雪xuě

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

雪 pairs 雨, showing rain, with 彗, giving the sound.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

山 shows three mountain peaks side by side.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 7-9 Geography & Landforms Weather

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