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冷静 (lěng jìng) — calm, composed, cool-headed; (of a place) quiet, deserted

Definition

冷静 describes a person staying calm and clear-headed under pressure (facing problems, taking exams). Unlike 安静 ('quiet, peaceful'), it focuses on inner composure in tense moments, not a silent environment.

adjective
calmcomposedcool-headed(of a place) quietdeserted

Examples

  • ，冷静。
    Miàn duì kùn nan, tā fēi cháng lěng jìng.
    He is very calm in the face of difficulties.
  • 冷静。
    Kǎo shì de shí hou yào bǎo chí lěng jìng.
    You need to stay calm during exams.
  • 冷静，。
    Zhè ge dì fāng hěn lěng jìng, méi shén me rén.
    This place is quiet and deserted, with hardly anyone around.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

冷lěngcool
静jìngquiet

“冷” (cool) and “静” (quiet) combine to mean calm and composed.

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 →

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 靜; 静 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 靜, not the simplified 静, uses 青 and 爭 for sound; an old source also treats 青 (blue) as a meaning part.

Open 静 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 4HSK 2.0 Level 41000 Most Frequent Chinese WordsPersonality & Traits2000 Most Frequent Chinese Words3000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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