coldest winter period; 19th-27th days after winter solstice
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesnoun
the 19th to 27th days after the winter solstice; the coldest period of winter
Part of the traditional Chinese 'counting nine' (数九) system that divides winter into nine-day periods. The third nine-day period (三九) is typically the coldest. Often used in weather reports and folk sayings.
Sān三
jiǔ九
yán严
hán寒
，
dà大
jiā家
chū出
mén门
yào要
zhù注
yì意
bǎo保
nuǎn暖
。
During the severe cold of the 'three-nine' period, everyone should keep warm when going outside.
Jīn今
nián年
de的
sān三
jiǔ九
tiān天
qì气
bǐ比
wǎng往
nián年
gèng更
lěng冷
。
The 'three-nine' weather this year is colder than in previous years.
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Sú俗
huà话
shuō说
，
sān三
jiǔ九
sì四
jiǔ九
bīng冰
shàng上
zǒu走
。
As the saying goes, during the third and fourth nine-day periods, one can walk on the ice.