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皚 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
皚áibrilliant white; as white as snowx, 15 strokes, radical 白
ái(ai2)ai T2
  1. 1brilliant white; as white as snow
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March 24, 2026

皚ái(ai2)

The character 皚 (ái) refers to a brilliant white color, often used to describe something as pure and bright, similar to snow. It is commonly found in literary contexts and poetic expressions to evoke imagery of clarity and cleanliness.

Strokes15Radical白
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, the color white is often associated with purity and mourning. The use of 皚 in poetry can evoke a sense of tranquility and beauty, linking the character to traditional aesthetics in Chinese literature.

Memory tip

Imagine a bright, shining snowflake falling gently from the sky. The character 皚 looks like a snowflake that has been polished to a brilliant shine, with the top part resembling the snow and the bottom part emphasizing its clarity.

Meanings of 皚

ái(ai2)
1brilliant white; as white as snow
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 皚

皚Simplified
15Strokes
白Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 皚

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Podcast: 皚

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AI study notes for 皚

Quick Contrast

皙 (xī) - use 皚 when emphasizing brilliance and purity, while 皙 refers more to a fair complexion.

Usage Notes

皚 is typically used in more formal or literary settings rather than in everyday conversation. Be careful not to confuse it with similar-sounding words; ensure you use it in contexts that emphasize purity or brightness.

HSK Study Tips

皚 is not included in the HSK vocabulary list, but it connects with other descriptive adjectives at HSK levels 3 and 4 that describe colors and qualities. Focus on how it can be used in poetic expressions or descriptive writing.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mistakenly use 皚 in casual conversations, where simpler words like 白 (bái) meaning 'white' are more appropriate. For example, saying '我喜欢皚的颜色' should be corrected to '我喜欢白的颜色' ('I like the color white').

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 皚

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Etymology of 皚

Formation typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 白 represents the meaning and 岂 represents the sound. Simplified form of 皚.

Memory hint

white

Semantic (meaning)白
+
Phonetic (sound)豈
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

皚 = 白 + 豈. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 皚

IDS Structure⿰白豈
皚Full character
=
白Bai2
left
豈qi3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 皚?

How to say brilliant white; as white as snow in Chinese

“brilliant white; as white as snow” in Chinese is皚ái

The character 皚 (ái) refers to a brilliant white color, often used to describe something as pure and bright, similar to snow. It is commonly found in literary contexts and poetic expressions to evoke imagery of clarity and cleanliness.

When to use 皚

皚 is typically used in more formal or literary settings rather than in everyday conversation. Be careful not to confuse it with similar-sounding words; ensure you use it in contexts that emphasize purity or brightness.

皚 or something close to it

皙 (xī) - use 皚 when emphasizing brilliance and purity, while 皙 refers more to a fair complexion.

What learners get wrong

Learners often mistakenly use 皚 in casual conversations, where simpler words like 白 (bái) meaning 'white' are more appropriate. For example, saying '我喜欢皚的颜色' should be corrected to '我喜欢白的颜色' ('I like the color white').

Write 皚

皚

Practice writing 皚 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Word Family of 皚

Words containing this character3
白雪皑皑brilliant white snow cover (esp. of distant peaks)白雪皚皚
皑皑white as snow皚皚
皑áiwhite (of snow etc)皚
Exercise 1 of 3

Words with 皚

What does 白雪皑皑 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 皚

You can say '那片皚皚的雪让人感到宁静' which means 'That brilliant white snow brings a sense of tranquility.'

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