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忽冷忽热 (hū lěng-hū rè) — (phrase, of weather) alternating between hot and cold, fluctuating in temperature; (phrase, of attitude or emotion) changeable, hot and cold, inconsistent

Definition

Literally 'suddenly cold, suddenly hot': used for unstable weather and, metaphorically, for someone's fickle attitude or feelings. Stronger than 不符 (mismatched) — it stresses rapid swings, not just inconsistency.

phrase
(phrase, of weather) alternating between hot and cold, fluctuating in temperature(phrase, of attitude or emotion) changeablehot and coldinconsistent

Examples

  • 忽冷忽热，。
    Zuì jìn tā duì wǒ hū lěng-hū rè, wǒ yě bù zhī dào tā dào dǐ zěn me xiǎng de.
    Lately she's been hot and cold with me, and I don't know what she's really thinking.
  • 忽冷忽热，。
    Běi fāng de chūn tiān cháng cháng hū lěng-hū rè, chū mén zuì hǎo dài jiàn wài tào.
    Spring in the north often alternates between hot and cold; it's best to bring a jacket when you go out.
  • 忽冷忽热。
    Zhè zhǒng hū lěng-hū rè de tài dù ràng rén hěn nán xìn rèn tā.
    This kind of inconsistent attitude makes it hard to trust him.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

忽冷suddenly cold
忽hūsuddenly冷lěngcold
偏正Modifier + head
忽热suddenly hot
忽hūsuddenly热rèhot
偏正Modifier + head

忽冷 and 忽热 stand side by side, describing temperature or attitude shifting between cold and hot.

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
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
勿
勿wù忽hū
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

忽 combines 心, meaning heart, and 勿, used for its sound.

Open 忽 →

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
勿
勿wù忽hū
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

忽 combines 心, meaning heart, and 勿, used for its sound.

Open 忽 →

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 熱; 热 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
灬Written in full as火huǒfire
Sound part声符shēngfú
埶
埶yì熱rè
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 熱 pairs 埶 with 火 (written as 灬) to show heat, while 埶 gives a sound.

Open 热 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Emotions & FeelingsWeather

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