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冷若冰霜 (lěng ruò bīng shuāng) — (idiom) icy cold in manner; frosty; aloof and unapproachable

Definition

A vivid 成语 (four-character idiom) for a person whose manner is 'icy cold' — aloof, unapproachable, emotionally frigid toward others. Used to describe demeanor, not physical temperature.

idiom
icy cold in mannerfrostyaloof and unapproachable

Examples

  • 冷若冰霜，。
    Tā duì rén zǒng shì lěng ruò bīng shuāng, hěn shǎo yǒu rén gǎn gēn tā shuō huà.
    She is always icy toward people; very few dare to speak with her.
  • 冷若冰霜，。
    Xīn lái de jīng lǐ tài dù lěng ruò bīng shuāng, yuán gōng men dōu hěn jǐn zhāng.
    The new manager's attitude is frosty, and the employees are all nervous.
  • 冷若冰霜，。
    Tā biǎo miàn lěng ruò bīng shuāng, qí shí nèi xīn hěn shàn liáng.
    He appears cold and aloof on the surface, but actually he's very kind inside.

Origin

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 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

若 began as a picture of a person combing their hair, associated with obedience.

Open 若 →

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
雨雨yǔrain
Sound part声符shēngfú
相
相xiāng霜shuāng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

霜 has 雨 (rain) on top for weather and 相 (xiāng) below for the sound.

Open 霜 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set PhrasesPersonality & Traits

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