noun HSK 4
xuě huā
snowflake · snow

Meaning

雪花 literally means 'snow flower' and refers to individual snowflakes or snow in general. The term poetically captures the delicate, flower-like crystalline structure of snowflakes. It's commonly used in both literal contexts (weather, winter scenes) and figurative expressions (beer foam, dandruff).

Usage

Used naturally in weather descriptions and winter imagery. Also appears in brand names (like 雪花啤酒 Snowflake Beer, a popular Chinese beer brand). Can describe both individual snowflakes and falling snow collectively. More poetic than just 雪 (snow) alone.

Examples

  1. 01
    窗外飘着美丽的雪花
    Chuāng wài piāo zhe měi de xuě huā.
    Beautiful snowflakes are drifting outside the window.
  2. 02
    孩子们兴奋地看着天上的雪花纷纷落下。
    Hái zi men xīng fèn de kàn zhe tiān shàng de xuě huā fēn fēn luò xià.
    The children excitedly watched the snowflakes falling from the sky.

Characters

Measure words

  • piàn一片雪花
  • duǒ一朵雪花

Common collocations

  • 雪花
    xuě huā piāo
    snowflakes flutter/drift
  • 雪花纷飞
    xuě huā fēn fēi
    snowflakes flying everywhere
  • 雪花啤酒
    xuě huā jiǔ
    Snow Beer (brand name)
  • 晶莹的雪花
    jīng yíng de xuě huā
    sparkling/crystalline snowflakes

Origin

The compound combines 雪 (snow) with 花 (flower), reflecting the traditional Chinese appreciation of snowflakes' delicate, branching patterns that resemble flower petals or blossoms.

Related