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疑是地上霜

yí shì dì shàng shuāng
quotation

Meanings

  1. 1 I took it for frost upon the ground
  2. 2 seems to be frost on the floor (said of moonlight)
  3. 3 (lit.) suspect it is frost upon the ground

Examples

夜深月光洒在地板上，疑是地上霜。
Yèshēn yuèguāng sǎ zài dìbǎn shàng, yí shì dì shàng shuāng.
Deep at night moonlight spilled onto the floor — looked just like frost.
小学生一提到李白，马上想到床前明月光，疑是地上霜。
Xiǎoxuéshēng yī tídào Lǐ Bái, mǎshàng xiǎngdào chuáng qián míng yuè guāng, yí shì dì shàng shuāng.
Mention Li Bai to a primary-school kid and instantly they think of 'bright moonlight before my bed, I took it for frost on the ground.'

Tips

history
From Li Bai's (李白) 《静夜思》 (Quiet Night Thoughts), possibly the single best-known quatrain in the Chinese language. Full poem: 床前明月光，疑是地上霜。举头望明月，低头思故乡 — 'bright moonlight before my bed, I took it for frost on the ground. I raise my head and gaze at the bright moon; I lower it and think of home.' Four lines learned by nearly every Chinese child.
usage
Almost always pairs with 床前明月光. Used any time moonlight creates a silvery illusion on a floor or road — or, more broadly, for any moment of quiet homesickness.

Stroke Order

疑 yí
是 shì
地 dì
上 shàng
霜 shuāng