下雨
下fall or come down雨rain=to rain
雨
雨 (yǔ) Chinese Character: rain
Drops falling under the sky — that's rain!
Practice 雨 in the interactive lessonChinese character story: Rain from Above
雨 shows the sky (the top stroke) with little droplets falling beneath it. The ancient drew rain exactly as we see it — lines of water dropping from above. Look up next time it pours; you're seeing 雨.
🧩 Word buildingSee what every part contributes
Chinese words often combine short meaning clues. Fixed expressions are clearly marked so you do not translate them too literally.
雨水
雨rain水water=rainwater
Chinese character origin and etymology
雨 is documented as a basic character form. Its earlier written forms gradually became the regular-script shape used today.
In modern simplified Chinese, 雨 is written with 8 strokes. This lesson separates documented shape history from the memory story so learners do not mistake a mnemonic for a historical claim. 雨 works as one complete form rather than a puzzle made from smaller modern components. Learning its overall silhouette is useful because the same shape may later appear inside more complex characters.
Chinese character stroke order and structure
雨 is written with 8 strokes. Learn the complete stroke sequence in the interactive lesson, then write the character from memory before checking your answer.
- 雨 — rain — water dropping from the sky
Common usage and sentence patterns
The examples below show 雨 in complete beginner-friendly sentences. Read each sentence aloud, notice where the character appears, and then replace one noun or number to create a new sentence of your own.
外面正在下雨。
It is raining outside.
雨天路很滑。
The road is slippery on rainy days.
别忘了带雨伞。
Don't forget your umbrella.
Learning tips for 雨
Learn the reading as one unit: yǔ, with the third tone: falling then rising. Avoid memorizing the letters without the tone mark. Say the syllable, recall the English meaning “rain,” and write the 8 strokes from memory.
Because 雨 is a basic form, focus on its proportions and stroke direction. Compare it with 雪 (xuě, snow — rain (雨) + 彐); 云 (yún, cloud — where rain comes from); 雷 (léi, thunder — rain (雨) + 田). Similar characters are easier to remember when their different parts and meanings are studied side by side.
Quick review checklist
- Can you recognize 雨 without pinyin?
- Can you say yǔ with the correct tone and explain “rain”?
- Can you write all 8 strokes in order?
- Can you use 雨 in one short sentence?
Related characters
Learn 雨 in a themed collection
Compare this character with related beginner words. A themed path helps you notice useful pairs, word-building patterns, and everyday contexts.
Continue learning Chinese characters
Use the Chinese radicals and components guide to understand reusable parts, the stroke order guide to improve handwriting, and the HSK 1 character overview to choose your next beginner lesson.
Sources and editorial note
HanziStory separates documented character history from modern memory stories. Historical-form images are shown only when a matching source file is available; missing stages are skipped rather than invented. Stroke practice uses HanziWriter data.
Last updated: August 12, 2026. Read our sources, editorial method, and correction policy.