白雪皑皑 (bái xuě ái ái) — (literary) brilliantly white snow cover, especially on distant peaks or a vast expanse

Definition

Literary idiom describing a landscape blanketed in dazzling white snow, often distant peaks or wide open country. Strongly written/poetic — never used in casual speech.

idiom
(literary) brilliantly white snow cover, especially on distant peaks or a vast expanse

Examples

  • 白雪皑皑，。
    Yuǎn shān bái xuě ái ái, jǐng sè shí fēn zhuàng lì.
    The distant mountains are covered in brilliant white snow, a truly magnificent view.
  • ，白雪皑皑。
    Dōng tiān dào le, zhěng gè dà dì bái xuě ái ái.
    Winter has arrived, and the whole earth is blanketed in pure white snow.
  • 白雪皑皑，。
    Miàn duì bái xuě ái ái de xuě shān, tā xīn zhōng chōng mǎn le jìng wèi.
    Facing the snow-covered peaks with their brilliant white snow, his heart was filled with awe.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

白雪white snow
白báiwhite雪xuěsnow
偏正Modifier + head
皑皑brilliantly white
皑áiwhite皑áiwhite
重叠Reduplication

白雪 and 皑皑 together paint snow gleaming pure white.

Characters in this word

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

白 is thought to picture either an acorn or a human head.

Open 白 →

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.

Open 雪 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 皚; 皑 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
白白báiwhite
Sound part声符shēngfú
豈
豈qǐ皚
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

This is about the traditional form 皚, not the simplified 皑. It pairs 白 (white) with 豈, which gives the sound.

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 皚; 皑 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
白白báiwhite
Sound part声符shēngfú
豈
豈qǐ皚
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

This is about the traditional form 皚, not the simplified 皑. It pairs 白 (white) with 豈, which gives the sound.

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