霜
frost
Details
Stroke Order
Cultural Context
Etymology
Composed of rain and mutual. Rain falling mutually becoming frost.
Symbolism
Frost, falling frost, white frost. Represents frost.
Seasonal
Represents late autumn to early winter October to November. Frost tells of seasonal change. Winter seasonal word in haiku.
Component Breakdown
rain + 相
Words & Expressions
Words written with 霜
Four-Character Compounds
秋霜烈日
しゅうそうれつじつ
harshness; severity
Proverbs & Idioms
霜降りの季節
しもふりのきせつ
The frosty season
Late autumn when frost begins to fall
Poetry
かささぎの 渡せる橋に おく霜の 白きを見れば 夜ぞふけにける
Poem #6 from Hyakunin Isshu
心あてに 折らばや折らむ 初霜の おきまどはせる 白菊の花
Poem #29 from Hyakunin Isshu
きりぎりす 鳴くや霜夜の さむしろに 衣かたしき ひとりかも寝む
Poem #91 from Hyakunin Isshu
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 霜 mean in Japanese?
霜 means frost.
How do you read 霜?
On'yomi: ソウ (SOU). Kun'yomi: しも (shimo).
How many strokes does 霜 have?
霜 has 17 strokes. Its radical is 雨 (rain).
Is 霜 a good kanji for a tattoo?
霜 is one of the kanji most often chosen for tattoos. It means frost. Read the full meaning and cultural background on this page first — some popular choices are deliberately dark.