雨 meaning and stroke order
Rain
How to write 雨, stroke by stroke
8 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
Meaning of 雨
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- rain
- (literary) to rain
- (of rain, snow etc) to fall
- to precipitate
- to wet
How 雨 is built
Pictographic character. Rain drops falling from a cloud 帀.
How to remember 雨
The top line and frame look like a cloud 帀 hanging in the sky, and the four little dots inside are raindrops falling from it. Picture looking out a window with rain streaking down the glass.
雨 (yǔ) is the everyday word for rain, and you usually talk about rain with the verb 下 (xià), literally "rain comes down." Example: 今天下雨了。(Jīntiān xià yǔ le.) It is raining today.
Common mistake: Learners often say 雨来了 or translate "it rains" with 是, but Chinese uses 下雨 (xià yǔ) for the action of raining. Also keep the third tone in 雨 (yǔ) distinct from 鱼 (yú, fish) and 语 (yǔ, language), which sound similar but mean something else.
Common words with 雨
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 下雨 | xià yǔ | to rain | HSK 1 |
| 雨水 | yǔshuǐ | rainwater; rainfall; rain | HSK 5 |
| 暴风雨 | bàofēngyǔ | rainstorm; storm | HSK 6 |
| 雨衣 | yǔyī | raincoat | HSK 6 |
| 暴雨 | bàoyǔ | torrential rain; rainstorm | HSK 6 |
| 风雨 | fēngyǔ | wind and rain; the elements | HSK 7-9 |
| 暴风骤雨 | bàofēng-zhòuyǔ | violent wind and rainstorm; hurricane | HSK 7-9 |
| 风风雨雨 | fēngfēngyǔyǔ | trials and tribulations; ups and downs | HSK 7-9 |
| 呼风唤雨 | hūfēng-huànyǔ | to call the wind and summon the rain (idiom); to exercise magical powers; fig. to stir up | HSK 7-9 |
| 大雨 | dàyǔ | heavy rain | |
| 雨伞 | yǔsǎn | umbrella | |
| 雨林 | yǔlín | rainforest | |
| 雨季 | yǔjì | rainy season | |
| 雨天 | yǔtiān | rainy day; rainy weather |
雨 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 雨
Learning 雨 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 雨
How many strokes are in 雨?
雨 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 雨 mean?
雨 (yǔ) means rain. A common word with it is 下雨 (xià yǔ), meaning "to rain".
How do you pronounce 雨?
雨 is pronounced yǔ, in the third tone (dipping).
Is 雨 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 雨 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
Why do so many weather characters have 雨 on top?
As a component, 雨 shrinks and sits on top to mark things that fall from the sky or relate to weather. You can see it in 雪 (xuě, snow), 雷 (léi, thunder), and 雾 (wù, fog).
When is 雨 pronounced yù instead of yǔ?
The yù reading is a literary verb meaning "to rain" or "to fall," as in old texts describing snow falling. In modern speech you will almost always say yǔ, so learn that reading first.