雪花 (xuě huā) — snowflake | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

snowflake

Measure word · 片

Examples

雪花。
Chuāng wài piāo qǐ le xuě huā.
Snowflakes began to fall outside the window.
雪花。
Měi yí piàn xuě huā de xíng zhuàng dōu bù yí yàng.
Every snowflake has a different shape.
雪花。
Hái zi men zài yuàn zi lǐ zhuī zhú xuě huā.
The children were chasing snowflakes in the yard.

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.

The 雪 gives snow and the 花 gives flake, together naming a flake of 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.

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

艹化花

Meaning part形符xíngfú

艹Written in full as艸cǎograss; plant

Sound part声符shēngfú

化

Same sound today

花 pairs 艹 (grass; plant) with 化, which gives the sound.

Appears in

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