下雨

• Pinyin: xià yǔ
• Hanzi breakdown: 下 = to fall/descend; 雨 = pictograph of rain falling from the sky

Meaning

To rain. Describes the weather phenomenon of rain falling.

A verb-object compound meaning 'to rain.' Very commonly used in daily weather conversations. Often combined with 了 to indicate it has started raining, or with adverbs like 大 or 小 to describe intensity. The subject is usually omitted or uses a general 'it.'

Examples

1. 今天下雨了。 It rained today.
2. 明天会不会下雨？ Will it rain tomorrow?
3. 外面下雨了，带伞吧。 It's raining outside — bring an umbrella.

Usage Guide

Context: weather, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 今天下雨了，出门带伞。(It's raining today — bring an umbrella when you go out.)
• 昨天下了一天的雨。(It rained all day yesterday.)

Don't Say

• 天气下雨了。(Redundant — don't use 天气 as subject; just say 下雨了)

Origin & History

A compound of 下 (to fall/descend) and 雨 (rain). Literally 'rain falls down.' The character 雨 is a pictograph depicting raindrops falling from clouds.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal