Mandarin Monday: Your Complete Winter Vocabulary Guide

      Mandarin Monday is a consistent series designed to enhance your Chinese language skills through enjoyable and practical phrases and characters.

      This winter has been relatively mild in Beijing, meaning phrases like 寒风刺骨 hán fēng cìgǔ, which translates to “the cold wind pierces the bones,” haven't been particularly relevant. However, if temperatures do take a significant drop, we have compiled some vital winter vocabulary (冬天 dōngtiān) for you!

      Nature and Weather

      Snow – 雪 xuě

      Snowing – 下雪 xiàxuě

      Heavy Snow – 大雪 dàxuě

      Light Snow – 小雪 xiǎoxuě

      Blizzard – 暴雪 bàoxuě

      Sleet – 霰 xiàn

      Ice – 冰 bīng

      Freezing To Form Ice – 结冰 jiébīng

      Frost – 霜 shuāng

      Cold Wind – 寒风 hánfēng

      Cold Air – 冷空气 lěng kōngqì

      Hail – 冰雹 bīngbáo

      Freezing Rain – 冰冻雨 bīngdòng yǔ

      Frozen Ground – 冻土 dòngtǔ

      Cold Wave – 寒潮 háncháo

      Temperature Drop – 降温 jiàngwēn

      Below Freezing – 零度以下 língdù yǐxià

      Snowflake – 雪花 xuěhuā

      Freezing Cold – 寒冷 hánlěng

      Severe Cold – 严寒 yánhán

      Sunny but Cold – 晴冷 qínglěng

      Snowstorm With Strong Winds – 风雪交加 fēngxuě jiāojiā

      Cold Winter Night – 寒夜 hányè

      Winter Clothing

      Scarf – 围巾 wéijīn

      Gloves – 手套 shǒutào

      Hat – 帽子 màozi

      Down jacket – 羽绒服 yǔróngfú

      Snow Boots – 雪地靴 xuědì xuē

      Long Johns/Thermal Pants – 秋裤 qiūkù

      Sweater – 毛衣 máoyī

      Overcoat – 大衣 dàyī

      Winter Sports and Activities

      Skiing – 滑雪 huáxuě

      Ski – 滑雪板 huáxuěbǎn

      Ski Resort – 滑雪场 huáxuě chǎng

      Cross-Country Skiing – 越野滑雪 yuèyě huáxuě

      Ice Skating – 滑冰 huábīng

      Ice Skates – 冰鞋 bīngxié

      Snowboarding – 单板滑雪 dānbǎn huáxuě

      Snowboard – 滑雪单板 huáxuě dān bǎn

      Curling – 冰壶 bīnghú

      Ice Hockey – 冰球 bīngqiú

      Sledding – 雪橇 xuěqiāo

      Ski Jumping – 跳台滑雪 tiàotái huáxuě

      Snowmobiling – 雪地摩托 xuědì mótuō

      Build a Snowman – 堆雪人 duī xuěrén

      Snowball Fight – 打雪仗 dǎ xuězhàng

      Winter Swimming – 冬泳 dōngyǒng

      Idioms and Phrases Related to Winter

      千里冰封，万里雪飘 qiānlǐ bīng fēng, wànlǐ xuě piāo

      Translation: “Thousands of miles of ice, and thousands of miles of snow.”

      Meaning: A vivid depiction of a vast and frozen winter landscape, often used to commend the beauty of winter.

      寒冬腊月 hándōng làyuè

      Translation: “The cold winter and the twelfth lunar month.”

      Meaning: Refers to the coldest period of the year, symbolizing the severity of winter.

      冰天雪地 bīngtiānxuědì

      Translation: “Icy skies and snowy ground.”

      Meaning: Describes a wintry scene blanketed in snow and ice.

      瑞雪兆丰年 ruìxuě zhào fēngnián

      Translation: “A timely snow foretells a good harvest year.”

      Meaning: An optimistic idiom implying that snow is a positive sign for agriculture and indicates prosperity.

      寒风刺骨 hán fēng cìgǔ

      Translation: “The cold wind pierces the bones.”

      Meaning: Used to describe intense cold that feels sharp and biting.

      滴水成冰 dīshuǐchéngbīng

      Translation: “