三伏天

sānfútiān

noun #84,454

Meanings

1 the dog days of summer
2 the three 10-day periods of hottest weather in late July to mid-August in China

Characters

lie low, hide (here: heat-hiding period)

Examples

三伏天是一年中最热的时候。

Sānfútiān shì yī nián zhōng zuì rè de shíhòu.

The Sanfu period is the hottest stretch of the year.

三伏天最好少出门，多喝水。

Sānfútiān zuì hǎo shǎo chūmén, duō hē shuǐ.

During the dog days you should go out less and drink plenty of water.

Tips

culture

The 三伏 (chūfú 初伏, zhōngfú 中伏, mòfú 末伏) are calculated from 庚 (gēng) days in the lunisolar calendar, starting on the third gēng day after summer solstice. Traditional medicine prescribes 三伏贴 (sānfútiē) — herbal patches applied during this hottest stretch to treat winter ailments.

Stroke Order

三 sān

伏 fú

天 tiān