坚冰 (jiān bīng) — hard ice, solid ice (literal, literary); (figurative) entrenched obstacles, frozen barriers, hardened resistance

Definition

Literary word: literally 'hard/solid ice,' but most often used figuratively for entrenched obstacles or frozen barriers between people. Common in set phrases like 打破坚冰 ('break the ice' of a standoff).

noun
hard icesolid ice (literal, literary)(figurative) entrenched obstaclesfrozen barriershardened resistance
Measure word ·

Examples

  • 坚冰
    Liǎng guó guān xì zhōng yú dǎ pò le jiān bīng.
    The bilateral relationship finally broke the ice (entrenched stalemate).
  • 坚冰
    Gǎi gé de lù shang chōng mǎn le jiān bīng.
    The road of reform is full of hardened obstacles.
  • 坚冰
    Chūn tiān lái le, dà dì shàng de jiān bīng kāi shǐ róng huà.
    Spring came, and the hard ice on the ground began to melt.

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