冻 meaning and stroke order
To freeze; to feel very cold; aspic or jelly
How to write 冻, 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
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- 7
Meaning of 冻
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to freeze
- to feel very cold
- aspic or jelly
How 冻 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Ice.
冫 gives the meaning and 东 hints at the sound.
Radical: 冫 (ice), shared by 26 characters on this site.
How to remember 冻
The two-dot ice radical 冫 on the left means cold, and 东 (dōng) on the right gives the sound. Picture ice forming on the east side of a house, where the morning sun has not yet reached, and it freezes: 冻 (dòng).
冻 is used for things freezing, for people feeling very cold, and for jelly-like foods. It often appears in compounds like 冷冻 (lěngdòng, to freeze food) and 果冻 (guǒdòng, jelly dessert). Example: 外面太冷了，我的手都冻了。(Wàimiàn tài lěng le, wǒ de shǒu dōu dòng le.) It is so cold outside that my hands are frozen.
Common mistake: Learners often write the left side with three dots like 氵, which turns the idea of ice into water. Also keep the fourth tone dòng, not the first tone of 东 (dōng), even though 东 gives the sound.
Common words with 冻
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 冻结 | dòngjié | to freeze (water etc); (fig.) to freeze (assets, prices etc) | HSK 7-9 |
| 冷冻 | lěngdòng | to freeze (food etc); (of weather) freezing | HSK 7-9 |
| 冻死 | dòngsǐ | to freeze to death; to die off in winter | |
| 果冻 | guǒdòng | gelatin dessert | |
| 冰冻 | bīngdòng | to freeze | |
| 冻僵 | dòngjiāng | frozen stiff; numb with cold | |
| 解冻 | jiědòng | to melt; to thaw |
冻 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 冻
How many strokes are in 冻?
冻 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 冻 mean?
冻 (dòng) means to freeze; to feel very cold; aspic or jelly. A common word with it is 冻结 (dòngjié), meaning "to freeze (water etc); (fig.) to freeze (assets, prices etc)".
How do you pronounce 冻?
冻 is pronounced dòng, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 冻?
The radical of 冻 is 冫, which carries the idea of "ice". Dictionaries list 冻 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 冻?
The traditional form of 冻 is 凍. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 冻 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 冻 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 冻 is part of the HSK 5 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 冻 and 冷?
冷 (lěng) describes the feeling or state of being cold, as in 今天很冷 (it is cold today). 冻 is stronger and means to freeze or to be hurt by cold, as in 冻死 (dòngsǐ, to freeze to death).
Can 冻 be used for money or prices?
Yes, in the compound 冻结 (dòngjié). Besides water freezing, it figuratively means to freeze assets, accounts or prices, for example 冻结账户 (dòngjié zhànghù, to freeze an account).