滑

• Pinyin: huá
• Hanzi breakdown: 滑 = 氵(water) + 骨 (phonetic)

Meaning

Slippery; smooth; to slide; to slip. Having a surface that lacks friction.

Used as adjective (slippery), verb (to slide/ski), and in idioms. Common in warnings about safety, describing surfaces, and winter sports like 滑雪 (skiing).

Examples

1. 下雨天路很滑，开车要小心。 The road is very slippery on rainy days; drive carefully.
2. 这个地板太滑了，差点摔倒。 This floor is too slippery; I almost fell.
3. 冬天我们经常去滑雪。 We often go skiing in winter.

Usage Guide

Context: safety, sports, description, warning

Tone: cautionary

Do Say

• 小心地滑！(Careful, slippery floor!)
• 你会滑冰吗？(Can you ice skate?)

Don't Say

• 他很滑 meaning 'he's slippery' about character (while used, it's quite negative — implies someone is cunning/untrustworthy)

Origin & History

Pictophonetic: 氵(water) + 骨 (phonetic), originally describing smooth water flow.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal