The north wind was biting, and heavy snow was falling.
Tips
history
In the Chinese lunar calendar, 朔 marks the new moon (when the moon is invisible), while 望 (wàng) marks the full moon (15th day). These terms have been used in Chinese astronomy for over 2,000 years.
usage
朔 meaning 'north' is literary/archaic. 朔风 (shuòfēng, north wind) and 朔方 (shuòfāng, the north) appear in classical texts and poetry but not in everyday speech.
Moon radical on the right is the topic: 朔 names the new-moon day that opens each lunar month. Note this is the actual moon 月, not the variant ⺼ flesh-radical used in body chars — same shape, different role.
semantic
屰nì
reverse; against
Left side pictures an upside-down person — the original of 逆 'against the flow'. In 朔 it contributes the idea of reversal: the lunar cycle resets, the moon turns from disappearing to reappearing on the first day of the month.
