冰城 (bīng chéng) — (nickname) Ice City (referring to Harbin, China)

Definition

冰城 (bīngchéng) is a nickname, not a literal word — it means 'Ice City,' a popular name for Harbin, famous for its cold winters and ice sculpture festivals. In writing it usually refers to Harbin specifically rather than any cold city.

noun
(nickname) Ice City (referring to Harbin, China)

Examples

  • 冰城。
    Měi nián dōng tiān dōu yǒu hěn duō yóu kè qù bīng chéng kàn bīng diāo.
    Every winter many tourists go to the Ice City to see ice sculptures.
  • 冰城，。
    bīng chéng De dōng tiān suī rán hěn lěng, dàn shì fēi cháng měi.
    Although the Ice City's winter is very cold, it's extremely beautiful.
  • 冰城，。
    Tā cóng xiǎo zài bīng chéng zhǎng dà, zǎo jiù xí guàn le líng xià sān shí dù de tiān qì.
    He grew up in the Ice City and long ago got used to minus-thirty-degree weather.

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bīngice
城chéngcity

The 冰 idea narrows the 城 to an icy one.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐ
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.

Open 冰 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
土土tǔsoil
Sound part声符shēngfú
成
成chéng城chéng
Same sound today

城 pairs 土 (soil) with 成 as a sound part, because city walls were originally made of stamped earth.

Open 城 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.