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冲凉 (chōng liáng) — to take a shower (colloquial, originally a cold shower)

Definition

冲凉 is a colloquial, mainly southern-Chinese way to say 'take a shower,' often a quick or cold one. 比 洗澡 (xǐzǎo) more casual and everyday; 比 淋浴 (línyù) less formal.

verb
to take a shower (colloquial, originally a cold shower)

Examples

  • ，。
    Tiān qì tài rè le, wǒ xiǎng qù chōng gè liáng.
    It's too hot — I want to go take a shower.
  • 。
    Tā měi tiān yùn dòng hòu dōu yào chōng liáng.
    He takes a shower after exercising every day.
  • ，。
    Wǒ gāng chōng wán liáng, gǎn jué shū fu duō le.
    I just finished showering and feel much more comfortable.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

冲chōngrinse/shower
凉liángcool

冲 means rinse or shower, and 凉 means cool, so the whole describes showering until cool.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 衝; 冲 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 冲 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (冲, 冲动) it is 衝; in others (冲) it is 沖.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
行行xíng
Sound part声符shēngfú
重
重zhòng衝chōng
Same sound today

The traditional form 衝 shows 重 inside 行, with 行 as the meaning part and 重 as the sound part; the simplified 冲 is a later shorthand.

Open 冲 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 涼; 凉 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
京
京jīng涼liáng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 涼 combines 氵 (water) with 京, which gives the sound; the simplified 凉 is a later abbreviation.

Open 凉 →
Appears in
Hygiene & Grooming

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