冷 meaning and stroke order
Cold
How to write 冷, stroke by stroke
7 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
Meaning of 冷
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- cold
How 冷 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Ice.
冫 gives the meaning and 令 hints at the sound.
Radical: 冫 (ice), shared by 26 characters on this site.
How to remember 冷
The left side 冫 is the ice radical, two drops of frozen water. Next to it sits 令 (lìng), which gives the sound, so picture ice beside a command: "Freeze" makes everything 冷 (lěng), cold.
冷 is the everyday word for cold weather, food, drinks, and also for cold, distant attitudes, as in 冷淡 (lěngdàn) indifferent or 冷静 (lěngjìng) calm. To say you feel cold, use 我很冷 rather than a separate verb. Example: 今天外面很冷。(Jīntiān wàimiàn hěn lěng.) It is very cold outside today.
Common mistake: Learners often write the left side with three drops like 氵 (water), which turns it into 泠 (líng), a different character. 冷 has only two drops, because ice is water that has lost a drop of movement.
Common words with 冷
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 冷静 | lěngjìng | calm; cool-headed; dispassionate; (of a place) deserted; quiet | HSK 4 |
| 寒冷 | hánlěng | cold (climate); frigid | HSK 4 |
| 冷水 | lěngshuǐ | cold water; unboiled water | HSK 6 |
| 冷气 | lěngqì | cold air; air conditioning | HSK 6 |
| 冷酷 | lěngkù | unfeeling; callous | HSK 7-9 |
| 冷漠 | lěngmò | cold and detached towards sb; lack of regard | HSK 7-9 |
| 冷冻 | lěngdòng | to freeze (food etc); (of weather) freezing | HSK 7-9 |
| 冷淡 | lěngdàn | cold; indifferent | HSK 7-9 |
| 冷战 | lěngzhàn | cold war; (fig.) strained relationship | HSK 7-9 |
| 冷酷无情 | lěngkù-wúqíng | cold-hearted; unfeeling; callous | HSK 7-9 |
| 冷落 | lěngluò | desolate; unfrequented | HSK 7-9 |
| 冷笑 | lěngxiào | to sneer; to laugh grimly | HSK 7-9 |
| 冷门 | lěngmén | a neglected branch (of arts, science, sports etc); fig. a complete unknown who wins a comp | HSK 7-9 |
| 爆冷门 | bào lěngmén | an upset (esp. in sports); unexpected turn of events | HSK 7-9 |
冷 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 冷
How many strokes are in 冷?
冷 is written with 7 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 冷 mean?
冷 (lěng) means cold. A common word with it is 冷静 (lěngjìng), meaning "calm; cool-headed; dispassionate; (of a place) deserted; quiet".
How do you pronounce 冷?
冷 is pronounced lěng, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 冷?
The radical of 冷 is 冫, which carries the idea of "ice". Dictionaries list 冷 under this radical.
Is 冷 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 冷 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
What is the difference between 冷 (lěng) and 凉 (liáng)?
冷 means truly cold and can be unpleasant, like winter weather. 凉 means cool or pleasantly chilly, like 凉快 (liángkuai) for a nice cool breeze on a hot day.
Can 冷 describe a person or a place, not just temperature?
Yes. 他很冷 can mean he is cold toward people, and 冷漠 (lěngmò) means detached. A quiet, empty shop or street can also be called 冷清 (lěngqīng), meaning deserted.