Japanese word

凍える

Pronunciation

Romajikogoeru

Meaning

  • verbfreeze

Example

寒い朝は手が凍えます。samu i asa wa te ga kogo e ma su

My hands freeze on cold mornings.

Illustration for 凍える (freeze)

More examples

冷たい風に当たり続けると、指先が凍えます。tsume ta i kaze ni a ta ri tsuzu ke ru to yubi saki ga kogo e ma su

When exposed to cold wind for a long time, your fingertips become numb.

Core concept

Expresses cold reaching a living body so deeply that it loses normal warmth, sensation, and ease of movement.

Common phrases

  • 寒さに凍えるsamu sa ni kogo e ru

    freeze in the cold

  • 寒風に凍えるkan pū ni kogo e ru

    freeze in the cold wind

  • 手足が凍えるte ashi ga kogo e ru

    one's hands and feet become numb

Similar words

凍るkōru: To become solid or hard because of extreme cold.
冷えるhieru: To lose warmth and become cold, without necessarily losing sensation or movement.
寒がるsamugaru: To show that one feels cold.

Definition in Japanese

寒さで体がひどく冷え、感覚が鈍くなったり動かしにくくなったりする。samu sa de karada ga hi do ku hi e kan kaku ga nibu ku na tta ri ugo ka shi ni ku ku na tta ri su ru

Word origin

凍える (kogoeru) is a native Japanese verb derived from the older form 凍ゆ (kogoyu), meaning "to freeze"; its modern use centers on the body's reaction to severe cold.

Usage tips

  • Unlike 凍る (kōru, "to freeze solid"), 凍える (kogoeru) usually focuses on a living body that suffers from cold rather than on water or another object becoming solid.

Other meanings

  • be chilledverb
  • become numbverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word