雪上加霜

• Pinyin: xuě shàng jiā shuāng
• Desglose de hanzi: 雪 = 雨 + 彗 (snow); 上 = a line above a reference point (on top of); 加 = 力 + 口 (strength + mouth — to add); 霜 = 雨 + 相 (rain + mutual — frost)

Significado

llover sobre mojado; empeorar una situación ya mala

A four-character chengyu. Used when multiple misfortunes strike in succession, each worsening the situation. The opposite concept is 雪中送炭 (sending charcoal in the snow — helping someone in their time of need). Very common in both spoken and written Chinese.

Ejemplos

1. 工厂刚刚遭受了一场火灾损失，随即又被相关部门处以高额罚款，真是雪上加霜，令企业主叫苦不迭。
2. 他在失业之际又遭遇了严重的交通事故，医疗费用高昂，雪上加霜的困境让全家陷入了前所未有的经济危机。
3. 这场突如其来的暴风雪对已经因旱灾受损的农业雪上加霜，粮食减产的形势愈加严峻。

Guía de uso

Contexto: adversity, business, personal hardship, journalism

Tono: negative

Correcto

• 公司账户资金紧张，主要供应商又突然宣布终止合作，雪上加霜的局面让管理层不得不紧急召开董事会讨论应对方案。(With the company's accounts already cash-strapped, the sudden announcement by a key supplier to terminate cooperation was a further blow; the compounding crisis forced management to urgently convene a board meeting to discuss countermeasures.)
• 她刚刚从一段艰难的感情中走出来，工作上又遭遇不公正的解雇，雪上加霜的打击让她一度陷入了深深的抑郁。(She had just emerged from a difficult relationship when she suffered an unjust dismissal at work; the compounding blows plunged her into a deep depression for a period.)

Incorrecto

• 今天下雨又刮风，真是雪上加霜 — 雪上加霜 should describe genuinely serious compounding misfortunes, not minor daily inconveniences; using it for light weather complaints trivialises the idiom and sounds melodramatic

Origen e historia

Derived from the visual image of snow already weighing heavy, with additional frost adding yet more burden — emphasises cumulative misfortune

Contexto cultural

Época: Traditional/Modern

Generación: All ages

Contexto social: Universal