霏 (fēi) - Falling snow & drifting snow

霏Tone 1

fēi ｜ 16 strokes ｜ radical:

恩丰

霏 · fēi

Falling snow;

drifting snow;

to fall (of snowflakes, petals, etc.

);

misty;

drizzling.

Falling snowdrifting snowto fall (of snowflakes, petals, etc.)

Usage highlights

Falling snowDrizzling rainDense mistSwirling cloudsContinuous snowfallMisty and drizzling

Synonyms

  • 雪— snow (more general term)
  • 飘— to drift, to flutter (describes light movement)

Antonyms

  • 晴— clear, sunny (opposite of misty/rainy)
  • 固— solid, firm (opposite of drifting/falling)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • Snowflakes drift down (雪花霏霏).
  • The drizzle is continuous (细雨霏霏).
  • Mist and clouds swirl densely (烟霏云敛).
  • The poem describes a snowy scene (诗中描绘了雨雪霏霏的景象).

Collocations

  • Falling snow(霏雪)
  • Drizzling rain(霏雨)
  • Dense mist(霏雾)
  • Swirling clouds(霏云)
  • Continuous snowfall(霏霏)
  • Misty and drizzling(霏微)

Idioms

  • The rain and snow fall heavily(雨雪霏霏)
  • Misty and drizzling, a scene of subtle beauty(霏霏漠漠)
  • Clouds gathering and mist swirling(烟霏露结)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Often used in classical poetry to depict scenes of falling snow, rain, or mist, creating an aesthetic of gentle, continuous movement.
  • Evokes a sense of natural beauty, tranquility, and sometimes melancholy or longing in literary contexts.
  • The character's association with light, floating particles (snow, mist) gives it a delicate, elegant connotation.

FAQ