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noun HSK 6
Traditional 靂
lì
thunderclap · lightning

Meaning

雳 refers to a loud crack or crash of thunder, typically used in literary or classical contexts. It rarely appears alone in modern Mandarin but is commonly found in compound words related to thunder and lightning phenomena.

Usage

This character is almost exclusively used in the compound 霹雳 (pīlì), meaning 'thunderbolt' or 'thunderclap'. On its own, 雳 is literary and archaic. Native speakers encounter it primarily in fixed expressions, idioms, or classical poetry rather than everyday conversation.

Examples

  1. 01
    这个消息对他来说简直是晴天霹雳。
    Zhège xiāoxi duì tā lái shuō jiǎnzhí shì qíngtiān pīlì.
    This news was like a bolt from the blue for him.
  2. 02
    天空中突然传来霹雳一声，吓了大家一跳。
    Tiānkōng zhōng túrán chuánlái pīlì yī shēng, xià le dàjiā yī tiào.
    A sudden thunderclap came from the sky, startling everyone.

Common collocations

  • 霹雳
    pīlì
    thunderbolt
  • 晴天霹雳
    qíngtiān pīlì
    a bolt from the blue (sudden shock)

Origin

The traditional form 靂 contains the rain radical (雨) indicating weather phenomena, combined with components suggesting sudden, violent sound. The character evolved to represent the sharp crack of thunder.

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