冷汗 (lěng hán) — cold sweat | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Cold sweat caused by fear, shock, or illness — not sweat from heat or exercise. Often appears in the set phrase 出一身冷汗 ('to break out in a cold sweat').

noun

cold sweat

Examples

冷汗。
Tā xià dé chū le yì shēn lěng hán.
He was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat.
，冷汗。
Tā fā gāo shāo, é tóu shàng quán shì lěng hán.
He had a high fever, and his forehead was covered in cold sweat.
冷汗。
Yī shēng shuō tā de lěng hán shì yīn wèi shēn tǐ tài xū ruò.
The doctor said his cold sweat was because his body was too weak.

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 means cold, and 汗 is sweat, giving clammy perspiration.

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.

冫令冷

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.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

干

干gān汗hàn

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

汗 has 水, the water form, beside 干; 水 relates to liquid sweat, while 干 gives the sound.

Appears in

Illness & Symptoms

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