冷枪 (lěng qiāng) — sniper's shot, surprise gunshot from a concealed position

Definition

A 'cold shot' — a bullet fired from a hidden position at an unsuspecting target, not part of open combat. The 冷 ('cold') stresses the surprise and concealment, contrasted with frontal gunfire.

noun
sniper's shot, surprise gunshot from a concealed position
Measure word · 枪

Examples

  • 冷枪，。
    Dí rén duǒ zài àn chù fàng lěng qiāng, wǒ men yí dìng yào xiǎo xīn.
    The enemy is hiding and firing sniper shots — we must be careful.
  • 冷枪，。
    Tā zài xún luó shí bèi lěng qiāng jī zhòng, shòu le zhòng shāng.
    He was hit by a sniper's shot while on patrol and was seriously injured.
  • ，冷枪。
    Zhè chǎng zhàn dòu zhōng, lěng qiāng bǐ zhèng miàn jiāo huǒ gèng wēi xiǎn.
    In this battle, sniper shots are more dangerous than direct firefights.

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.

冷lěngcold
枪qiānggun

冷 adds a cold or unexpected sense, and 枪 refers to a gun or shot, giving a surprise shot.

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
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.

Open 冷 →

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 槍; 枪 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mù
Sound part声符shēngfú
倉
倉cāng槍qiāng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 槍 pairs 木 (wood) with 倉 as a sound part; the simplified 枪 is a shorthand, and its right side is not the historical component.

Open 枪 →

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