冷空气 (lěng kōng qì) — (meteorology) cold air mass | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

In meteorology, a 冷空气 is a moving body of cold air (a 'cold air mass') that sweeps in and lowers the temperature — the mechanism behind a 寒潮 (cold wave).

noun

(meteorology) cold air mass

Examples

冷空气。
Běi fāng lái de lěng kōng qì ràng qì wēn zhòu jiàng.
The cold air mass from the north caused the temperature to drop sharply.
，冷空气。
Qì xiàng tái yù bào, míng tiān jiāng yǒu lěng kōng qì nán xià.
The weather forecast says a cold air mass will move south tomorrow.
冷空气，。
Shòu lěng kōng qì yǐng xiǎng, zhè cì hán cháo fēi cháng qiáng liè.
Affected by the cold air mass, this cold wave is very strong.

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.

空气air

空kōngair气qìair

联合Coordinate

冷 adds cold, while 空 and 气 both point to air, describing a cold air mass.

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.

穴工空

Meaning part形符xíngfú

穴穴xuécave, hole

Sound part声符shēngfú

工

工gōng空kōng

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

空 is built from 穴, a cave or hole, and 工, which gives the sound.

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 氣; 气 is its simplified writing.

气米氣

Meaning part形符xíngfú

米米mǐrice

Sound part声符shēngfú

气

气qì氣qì

Same sound today

The traditional form 氣 pairs 米 (rice) with 气, which supplies the sound; the simplified 气 is a later abbreviation.

Appears in

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