lěng HSK 1

English Meaning

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📚 Example Sentences

水很冷。
Shuǐ hěn lěng.
The water is very cold.
天冷。
Tiān lěng.
The weather is cold.
我很冷。
Wǒ hěn lěng.
I am very cold.
今天的水非常冷。
Jīntiān de shuǐ fēicháng lěng.
The water is very cold today.
她给了我一个冷漠而疏远的眼神。
Tā gěi le wǒ yīgè lěngmò ér shūyuǎn de yǎnshén.
She gave me a cold and distant look.

💡 Memory Tip

Imagine the character 冷: the left part 冫 is the 'ice' radical, directly linking it to coldness. Think of 'lěng' sounding like 'lung'—if you breathe cold air, your lungs feel it.

📝 Usage Notes

冷 is used in both formal and informal contexts, in spoken and written Chinese. It is commonly applied to describe weather (e.g., cold days), objects (e.g., cold water), environments (e.g., a cold room), or metaphorical situations (e.g., a cold response).

📖 Grammar Points

冷 can be used as a predicate adjective (e.g., 今天很冷), as an attributive modifier (e.g., 冷水), or in comparative structures (e.g., 比昨天冷). It can also be reduplicated as 冷冷 to describe a faint or lingering coldness.

🏯 Cultural Notes

In Chinese culture, '冷' is often associated with negative emotions or social interactions, such as 冷淡 (cold attitude) or 冷眼旁观 (coldly observing without involvement). It may also relate to traditional beliefs about balancing 'cold' and 'hot' in food for health.

🔄 Similar Words

冷 (lěng) specifically refers to low temperature, while 凉 (liáng) means 'cool' or 'mildly cold', often in a pleasant way. 寒冷 (hánlěng) is more formal and intense, meaning 'frigid' or 'bitterly cold'.

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