雹 (báo) · hail, hailstone

Meanings

1 hail
2 hailstone

Characters

雹

báo

hail

Examples

HSK 3

雹子有鸡蛋那么大。

Báozi yǒu jīdàn nàme dà.

The hailstones were as big as eggs.

HSK 7-9

一场突如其来的冰雹把庄稼打倒了。

Yì cháng tūrúqílái de bīngbáo bǎ zhuāngjia dǎ dǎo le.

A sudden hailstorm flattened the crops.

Tips

usage

The everyday word is 冰雹 ('hail'); spoken Chinese also uses 雹子. 雹 itself is the meteorological term for ice pellets falling from storm clouds.

Components

radical

雨 yǔ

rain

雨 is the rain radical (top form). Hail is frozen precipitation falling like rain, so the weather radical fixes the meaning.

phonetic

包 bāo

to wrap; phonetic

包 supplies the sound (bāo shifting to báo). A hailstone is a little pellet of ice wrapped in layers, which faintly echoes 包's 'wrap up' sense.

Stroke Order

雹 báo

Related Words

下风雹 xiàfēngbáo

to rain down wind and hail / to unleash one's wrath or authority / to come down on someone hard

冰雹 bīngbáo HSK 7-9 #20,686

hail / hailstone

欢呼 huānhū HSK 7-9 #3,323

to cheer / to hail / to acclaim

呼叫 hūjiào #2,779

to call / to hail / to page

雨 yù #1,968

to rain; to fall as rain / (of snow, hail, arrows) to come down in a shower

叫车 jiàochē

to call a taxi / to hail a ride / to book a ride (via app)

接驾 jiējià

(classical) to welcome the emperor's arrival / (modern ride-hail) to pick up the passenger / to come to get you

泰 tài #2,989

peaceful / safe / grand / Thai (short for Thailand)

网约车 wǎngyuēchē

app-based taxi / ride-hailing car / ride-sharing vehicle

枪林弹雨 qiānglín-dànyǔ #23,902

hail of bullets / fierce gunfire / a storm of bullets