小寒

xiǎohán

noun

Meanings

1 Xiaohan
2 Lesser Cold (23rd of the 24 solar terms, around Jan 5-20)

Characters

Examples

小寒之后就是一年最冷的时候。

Xiǎohán zhīhòu jiùshì yì nián zuì lěng de shíhou.

After Xiaohan comes the coldest time of the year.

小寒节气，北方开始下大雪。

Xiǎohán jiéqì, běifāng kāishǐ xià dàxuě.

At the Xiaohan solar term, heavy snow begins in the north.

俗话说：小寒胜大寒。

Súhuà shuō: xiǎohán shèng dàhán.

As the saying goes: Lesser Cold is actually colder than Greater Cold.

Tips

culture

23rd of the 24 solar terms, around January 5-6. Paired with 大寒 (Greater Cold) as the final pair. In practice 小寒 is often colder than 大寒 in northern China, hence the proverb 小寒胜大寒.

usage

The 小/大 (lesser/greater) pattern also marks 小暑/大暑 (Lesser/Greater Heat) and 小雪/大雪 (Lesser/Greater Snow) — each pair straddles the extreme point of a season.

Stroke Order

小 xiǎo

寒 hán