Chinese word

冷气

Pronunciation

Pinyinlěng qì

Meaning

  • nounair conditioning

Example

房间太热了，开冷气吧。fáng jiān tài rè le kāi lěng qì ba

The room is too hot. Let's turn on the air conditioning.

Illustration for 冷气 (air conditioning)

More examples

我们准备在客厅装冷气，下个月开始施工。wǒ men zhǔn bèi zài kè tīng zhuāng lěng qì xià gè yuè kāi shǐ shī gōng

We plan to install air conditioning in the living room, and construction will begin next month.

Core concept

Cooling that fills a room, with the same word extending to the system or cooling function that produces it.

Common phrases

  • 装冷气zhuāng lěng qì

    install air conditioning

  • 有冷气yǒu lěng qì

    have air conditioning

  • 关冷气guān lěng qì

    turn off air conditioning

Similar words

空调kōng tiáo: A machine that uses electricity to cool and regulate the air indoors.
风扇fēng shàn: A powered appliance that blows air through a room with rotating blades.

Definition in Chinese

表示房间内的冷空气，也常作为对空调或其制冷状态的口语称呼。biǎo shì fáng jiān nèi de lěng kōng qì yě cháng zuò wéi duì kōng tiáo huò qí zhì lěng zhuàng tài de kóu yǔ chēng hū

Word origin

The compound 冷气 (lěngqì, "cold air") joins 冷 (lěng, "cold") + 气 (qì, "air"), so the air itself becomes a natural name for the cooling it provides and the equipment behind it.

Usage tips

  • A useful listening clue is that comments about strength, flow, or room temperature usually concern the cooling effect, while comments about switching, settings, or repair usually concern the unit.

Other meanings

  • air conditionernoun
  • cold airnoun

Opposites

Related words

  • 冷气机lěng qì jīair conditionernoun
  • 冷气设备lěng qì shè bèiair-conditioning equipmentnoun

Word lists with this word