The top horizontal stroke represents the sky, the vertical strokes suggest falling rain, and the four dots inside are raindrops. This is a genuine pictograph, not a folk etymology.
In Chinese, the natural order is '下' (fall) before '雨' (rain), not the reverse.
To describe heavy rain, use '大' before '雨' as an adjective, not after as a main description.
Because '雨' alone is a noun, and '下雨' is the verb phrase for 'to rain'.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Action (to rain) | 下雨了。 | 雨了。 |
| Noun (the rain) | 雨很大。 | 下雨很大。 |
| With time | 今天下雨。 | 今天雨。 |
'雨' has four dots inside, while '两' has two people-like strokes inside.
| Dimension | 雨 | 两 |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | rain | two |
| Inner strokes | four dots | two strokes |
| Example | 下雨 (rain) | 两个 (two items) |
Before you read, close your eyes and imagine a rainy afternoon. This story uses simple HSK 1 words to show how rain can become a talking friend.
下雨 了。
雨 来了。
我坐在门口，看 雨 。
雨 好看。
雨 好听。
听——我听见 雨 说话。
我们，我和 雨 ，说话。
雨 说：你好，你好。
雨 ，是我的朋友。
我是 雨的 朋友。
我喜欢 雨 。
雨 喜欢我。
雨 不下了。
我对 雨 说：谢谢！
雨 说：再见！
This short, soothing piece is about missing someone on a rainy night. The sentences are simple and repeat often, so you can practice reading while feeling the warm emotion.
这个晚上， 下雨 了。
我看着电脑，写下了几个字： 小雨 ，我想你。
今天，你那里 下雨 了吗？
雨 小了。
小雨 ， 小雨 ，你也在想我吗？
Follow Xiao Li as he copes with the effects of forest fires near his home in the US and reflects on environmental changes. A thoughtful story for HSK 4 learners.
可是今年很奇怪，天上很少有云，也很少 下雨 ，一直非常热。
小李想，要是天气还这么热，还不 下雨 ，整个森林都要烧没了。
春天和夏天 雨水 少，温度高的时候，人们也要特别小心森林大火。
Follow Dazhong, a busy worker in China, as he finds warmth and kindness at a small noodle shop. Practice everyday words for food, weather, and expressing gratitude.
一天晚上，外边下 大雨 ，天气非常冷。
今天 雨 太大，我想你还没吃晚饭，我在这儿看你来不来。”
Read about a work trip to Beijing where a group of colleagues takes a very large airplane. Practice weather words and actions in a simple travel story.
到北京的时候，北京正在下 大雨 。
This playful poem will make you smile as you explore how Chinese words like 'computer' and 'phone' can be funnier than they seem. Get ready to enjoy simple HSK 1 vocabulary and a twist of logic!
下雨 不“ 上雨 ”，下雪没“上雪”。
Read this short story about people waiting in the rain for a new phone. You will practice numbers, time, and everyday vocabulary.
下雨 了，大家都没有回去。
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