Chinese word

冷

Pronunciation

Pinyinlěng

Meaning

  • adjectivecold

Example

外面很冷，把窗户关上吧。wài miàn hěn lěng bǎ chuāng hù guān shàng ba

It's cold outside, so let's close the window.

Illustration for 冷 (cold)

More examples

今天很冷，穿件外套吧。jīn tiān hěn lěng chuān jiàn wài tào ba

It's very cold today, so wear a coat.

Core concept

Temperature on the low side, making surroundings or objects feel without warmth.

Common phrases

  • 很冷hěn lěng

    very cold

  • 房间冷fáng jiān lěng

    cold room

  • 天气冷tiān qì lěng

    cold weather

Similar words

凉liáng: Mildly cool in temperature, with a gentle lack of warmth in the air or in an object.

Definition in Chinese

温度较低、令人产生寒意的性质或状态，常用于描述天气、空气、食物等的温度情况。wēn dù jiào dī lìng rén chǎn shēng hán yì de xìng zhì huò zhuàng tài cháng yòng yú miáo shù tiān qì kōng qì shí wù děng de wēn dù qíng kuàng

Word origin

The character 冷 (lěng, "cold") uses the ice radical 冫 (bīng, "ice") for its meaning and 令 (lìng, "command") for its approximate sound.

Usage tips

  • When it describes a person's manner, the adjective can point to emotional distance rather than temperature, an extension that English learners may miss in context.

Other meanings

  • cooladjective

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word