云

• Pinyin: yún
• Hanzi breakdown: 云 = simplified pictograph of clouds; traditional form 雲 = 雨 (rain) + 云 (phonetic)

Meaning

Cloud. A visible mass of water vapour floating in the sky.

Refers to clouds in the sky. Also used in compound words: 云彩 (cloud, more colloquial), 多云 (cloudy). In modern Chinese, 云 is also used as a prefix meaning 'cloud-based' in tech contexts, though this is beyond HSK 2. The measure word for clouds is 朵.

Examples

1. 今天天上有很多白云。 There are lots of white clouds in the sky today.
2. 云把太阳遮住了。 The clouds blocked the sun.
3. 飞机飞到了云的上面。 The plane flew above the clouds.

Usage Guide

Context: nature, weather, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 看，那朵云像一只小狗！(Look, that cloud looks like a little dog!)
• 今天多云，不太热。(It's cloudy today — not too hot.)

Don't Say

• 天上有一个云。(Don't use 个 for clouds — use 朵: 天上有一朵云.)

Origin & History

A pictograph depicting clouds. The traditional form 雲 adds the rain radical 雨 on top. The simplified form 云 was the original ancient form.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal