Meaning
The kanji 雪 means snow — the white, frozen precipitation that falls in cold weather. Few kanji wear their meaning so openly; the structure tells the story directly through two components that fit together like a natural image.
The top part is the radical 雨, meaning rain. Snow is precipitation — frozen rain, essentially — so the connection is immediate. The bottom part is 彐 (also written as ヨ), historically representing a hand that sweeps or smooths a surface. Think of it as a hand leveling fresh snow into an even, white layer. The full character shows precipitation falling and settling flat — exactly what snow does.
Structurally, 雪 is a pictophonetic character (形声文字, keisei moji). The 雨 radical provides the semantic meaning — weather, precipitation — while the lower component originally contributed a phonetic hint in ancient Chinese. As the character moved into Japanese, the pronunciation shifted, but the visual logic stayed intact.
雪 has 11 strokes and is taught in elementary school grade 2 in Japan. All Japanese children learn it early. Though it appears in the JLPT N3 list, you will encounter it well before that level — in weather forecasts, literature, place names, and everyday talk about cold weather.
Snow runs deep in Japanese culture. The country sees heavy snowfall across many regions, especially Tohoku and Hokuriku. Yuki appears throughout Japanese poetry and art, woven into the concept of mono no aware — the bittersweet appreciation of things that pass.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
The on'yomi reading is セツ (SETSU), drawn from the character's Chinese pronunciation. It appears mainly in formal compound words, written language, and set phrases — rarely in casual speech.
- 雪原 (setsugen) — snowfield, snowy plain; a vast expanse covered in snow
- 積雪 (sekisetsu) — snowfall accumulation; the measured depth of settled snow
- 降雪 (kousetsu) — snowfall; the act or event of snow falling
- 雪辱 (setsujoku) — revenge, vindication; literally "wiping away shame with snow," used in sports and competition contexts
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
The kun'yomi reading is ゆき (yuki) — the everyday Japanese word for snow. It is what you hear on weather reports, in conversation, and from children hoping school gets cancelled. When snow comes up in daily life, yuki is the word. It is also a common given name for women in Japan.
- 雪 (yuki) — snow (standalone word)
- 雪だるま (yukidaruma) — snowman; literally "snow daruma," after the round, tumbling shape
- 雪国 (yukiguni) — snow country; a region with heavy snowfall, also the title of a famous Kawabata novel
- 雪かき (yukikaki) — snow shoveling; clearing snow from paths and roads
- 大雪 (ooyuki) — heavy snowfall, a large amount of snow
Common Words & Compounds
雪 shows up across weather reports, winter activities, place names, and poetry. Below are common compounds grouped by theme.
Weather and Nature
- 初雪 (hatsuyuki) — first snow of the season; a celebrated, poetic moment in Japan
- 大雪 (ooyuki) — heavy snow; a significant snowfall event
- 小雪 (koyuki) — light snow, a small amount of snowfall
- 吹雪 (fubuki) — blizzard, snowstorm; snow driven by strong winds
- 積雪 (sekisetsu) — snow accumulation; measured depth of settled snow
- 降雪 (kousetsu) — snowfall; used in weather forecasts and reports
Activities and Objects
- 雪かき (yukikaki) — snow shoveling; a common winter chore
- 雪だるま (yukidaruma) — snowman
- 雪合戦 (yukigassen) — snowball fight; a classic winter activity
- 雪遊び (yukiasobi) — playing in the snow
Places and Expressions
- 雪国 (yukiguni) — snow country, a snowy region
- 雪原 (setsugen) — snowfield, open snowy plain
- 雪景色 (yukigeshiki) — snowy scenery, a landscape covered in snow
- 雪辱 (setsujoku) — vindication, getting revenge (especially in sports)
Example Sentences
きのう、はじめて雪が降りました。
Kinou, hajimete yuki ga furimashita.
Yesterday, it snowed for the first time.
外は雪でまっしろです。
Soto wa yuki de masshiro desu.
Outside is completely white with snow.
子供たちが雪だるまを作っています。
Kodomotachi ga yukidaruma wo tsukutte imasu.
The children are making a snowman.
この冬は大雪が降るそうです。
Kono fuyu wa ooyuki ga furu sou desu.
I heard that there will be heavy snow this winter.
雪が積もって、道が歩きにくいです。
Yuki ga tsumotte, michi ga arukinikui desu.
The snow has piled up and the road is hard to walk on.
天気予報によると、明日は降雪の可能性があります。
Tenkiyohou ni yoru to, ashita wa kousetsu no kanousei ga arimasu.
According to the weather forecast, there is a possibility of snowfall tomorrow.
吹雪で電車が止まってしまいました。
Fubuki de densha ga tomatte shimaimashita.
The train stopped because of the blizzard.
初雪を見て、冬が来たと感じました。
Hatsuyuki wo mite, fuyu ga kita to kanjimashita.
Seeing the first snow, I felt that winter had arrived.
北海道は雪国として有名です。
Hokkaidou wa yukiguni to shite yuumei desu.
Hokkaido is famous as a snow country.
雪かきをしないと、車が出られません。
Yukikaki wo shinai to, kuruma ga dearemasen.
If we don't shovel the snow, the car can't get out.
Memory Tip
Look closely at the structure of 雪. The top half is 雨 — rain falling from clouds. Picture those raindrops freezing mid-fall, turning into soft white flakes. The bottom part, 彐, looks like a hand smoothing a flat surface — exactly what freshly fallen snow does as it covers everything evenly. Read the character as: rain from the sky, flattened by a hand. That is snow.
One more hook: the kun'yomi reading yuki is a common Japanese female given name. Picture a girl named Yuki who loves playing in the snow. That image alone makes the reading stick.