雪上加霜

उच्चारण: xuě shàng jiā shuāng शाब्दिक अर्थ: Add frost on top of snow

मूल और उपयोग

This idiom describes adding (加) frost (霜) on top of (上) snow (雪). Both snow and frost are cold, so adding frost to snow intensifies an already difficult situation. The phrase vividly captures the compounding of misfortunes. It appeared in Song Dynasty poetry describing accumulated hardships. Modern usage describes situations where problems pile up, or when new difficulties arrive during already challenging times, emphasizing the cumulative weight of troubles.

उदाहरण

अंग्रेज़ी: "Losing his job when his car broke down was adding frost to snow."

चीनी: 车坏的时候又丢了工作，真是雪上加霜。