How to Write 鳕 (xuě) — Meaning “cod”

Picture a cod fish swimming through a snowy ocean — the word "snow-fish" directly links 雪 (snow) to cod. Alternatively, remember that "cod" sounds like "cold," and 雪 means snow, reinforcing the cold-water connection.

Write the left radical 鱼 (8 strokes) first, keeping it narrow, then add the right part 雪 (11 strokes). Pay special attention to the bottom of 雪 — it has a horizontal stroke followed by a small dot; do not forget that dot. Common mistakes include making the left and right sides unbalanced or omitting the dot.

鳕 (cod) has the right component 雪 (snow), while 鲼 (ray fish) has 贲 on the right and 鲽 (flounder) has 枼. Visually, 鳕 looks like "fish + snow"; 鲼 has a more complex right side and 鲽 has a simpler flat shape. Their meanings are completely different types of fish.

鳕 appears mainly in food contexts, such as 鳕鱼 (cod fish) on restaurant menus or 银鳕鱼 (black cod) for a premium product. It is not part of the HSK vocabulary but is familiar to anyone who eats Western-style seafood or shops for frozen fish fillets in China.

Common words containing 鳕 include: 鳕鱼 (xuě yú) — cod fish; 银鳕鱼 (yín xuě yú) — Sablefish / Black cod; 鳕鱼排 (xuě yú pái) — cod fillet.