細雪(ささめゆき)

ささめゆき
noun
light snowfall; fine snow; gently falling snow
formalnatureweather
1. light snowfall; fine snow; gently falling snow
Delicate, fine snow falling gently. A poetic and literary word evoking a quiet, beautiful winter scene.
細雪(ささめゆき)が舞(ま)っている。
Fine snow is dancing in the air.
窓(まど)の外(そと)には細雪(ささめゆき)が静(しず)かに降(ふ)っていた。
Outside the window, fine snow was falling quietly.
夕暮(ゆうぐ)れの街(まち)に細雪(ささめゆき)が降(ふ)り始(はじ)め、景色(けしき)が一変(いっぺん)した。
Fine snow began to fall on the town at dusk, transforming the scenery.

A literary and poetic word for delicate, gently falling snow. Composed of 細(ささめ) (fine, delicate) + 雪(ゆき) (snow). Evokes a quiet, elegant winter atmosphere and is associated with refined, literary Japanese.

Common collocations

Literary note

The most famous use of this word is as the title of 谷崎潤一郎(たにざきじゅんいちろう)'s novel 細雪(ささめゆき) (The Makioka Sisters, 1943-1948), a masterwork of modern Japanese literature depicting the lives of four sisters in a wealthy Osaka family. The title evokes the beauty and transience of their fading world.

Similar words

  • 粉雪(こなゆき): powder snow — light, dry snow; less literary than 細雪(ささめゆき)
  • 新雪(しんせつ): fresh snow — emphasizes newness rather than delicacy
  • 小雪(こゆき): light snow — a more neutral term for light snowfall; also the name of a seasonal division in the traditional calendar

Related Words

Compare: 粉雪(こなゆき) (powder snow)
Compare: 新雪(しんせつ) (fresh snow)
general
Added 2026.4.6 21:13 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
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