零下 (líng xià) — below zero (temperature) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Used to describe sub-zero temperatures. Goes before a number, e.g. 零下五度 = 'five degrees below zero'.

phrase

below zero (temperature)

Examples

零下。
Jīn tiān líng xià wǔ dù.
Today it's five degrees below zero.
零下。
Zhè lǐ dōng tiān líng xià shí dù.
Here in winter it's ten degrees below zero.
零下。
Míng tiān líng xià bā dù.
Tomorrow it's eight degrees below zero.

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.

零 is zero and 下 is below, so 零下 means below zero.

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.

雨令零

Meaning part形符xíngfú

雨雨yǔrain

Sound part声符shēngfú

令

令lìng零líng

Same sound today

In 零, the 雨 part depicts thick raindrops falling from the sky; the 令 part gives the sound.

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

下 is drawn as a short horizontal line below a long curved line.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 4 Units & Measurement Weather

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