冰冷 (bīng lěng) — ice-cold (literal); cold, frosty (of expression… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

adjective

ice-cold (literal)coldfrosty (of expressions, atmosphere)

Examples

冰冷，。
Zhè bēi shuǐ bīng lěng de, méi fǎ hē.
This glass of water is ice-cold, I can't drink it.
冰冷。
Tā liǎn shàng lù chū bīng lěng de biǎo qíng.
A frosty expression appeared on his face.
冰冷。
Dōng tiān de hé shuǐ bīng lěng cì gǔ.
The river water in winter is bitingly cold.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

冰 names ice, 冷 names cold; together they mean cold like ice.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

冫水冰

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

冫

仌bīng冰bīng

Same sound today

冰 adds 水 (water) to 冫, the short form of 仌; 冫 gives the sound, and 水 shows the meaning.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

冫令冷

Meaning part形符xíngfú

冫Written in full as仌bīngice

Sound part声符shēngfú

令

令lìng冷lěng

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

冷 uses 冫, the ice form, with 令 as a sound part, to mean cold as ice.

Appears in

Texture & Quality

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