霜
frost
Readings
On'yomi
- ソウ
Kun'yomi
- しも
Meaning
霜 centers on frozen atmospheric moisture that forms icy crystals: frost. It is the visible white coating that appears on cold surfaces.
Most common words using 霜
20 of 47- 霜しもN3
frost
- 霜降りしもふり
speckled with white; salt-and-pepper (pattern, fabric, etc.)
- 霜月しもつき
eleventh month of the lunar calendar
- 早霜はやじも
early frost
- 幾星霜いくせいそう
many months and years
- 星霜せいそう
years; time
- 初霜はつしもN2
first frost of the year
- 初霜月はつしもづき
tenth lunar month
- 別れ霜わかれじも
late frost; frost in late spring
- 大霜降枝尺おおしもふりえだしゃく
peppered moth (Biston betularia)
- 忘れ霜わすれじも
late frost; frost in late spring
- 春霜しゅんそう
spring frost
- 晩霜ばんそう
late frost
- 朝霜あさしも
morning frost
- 樹霜じゅそう
air hoar; air frost; soft rime
- 水霜みずじも
frozen dew (in late autumn)
- 秋霜しゅうそう
autumn frost; fall frost
- 秋霜烈日しゅうそうれつじつ
harshness; severity
- 貴霜きそう
Kushan (dynasty of India; approx. 60-375 CE)
- 貴霜朝きそうちょう
Kushan dynasty (of India; approx. 60-375 CE)
Study
Etymology
霜 combines 雨 (rain, atmospheric phenomena) with 相, which likely contributes the sound and may suggest the appearance of frost as a mutual or paired formation of ice crystals.
Meaning mnemonic
Rain 雨 falls and meets the cold ground, forming a mutual 相 pattern of frost crystals. Picture rain freezing into a delicate white coating.
Reading mnemonic
For ソウ, imagine frost forming on a soulful winter morning: soul -> ソウ, and the frost covers everything with icy beauty.