空调 meaning in English
air conditioning; air conditioner (including units that have a heating mode)
Meaning of 空调
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- air conditioning
- air conditioner (including units that have a heating mode)
Measure word: 臺|台
How to use 空调
空调 is the everyday word for both the air conditioning and the unit itself. It also covers units with a heating mode. It usually pairs with 开 (kāi) to turn on and 关 (guān) to turn off. Example: 太热了，开空调吧。(Tài rè le, kāi kōngtiáo ba.) It's too hot, let's turn on the air conditioner.
空 (kōng) is the air, as in 空气 (kōngqì), and 调 (tiáo) means to adjust, as in 调整 (tiáozhěng). An air conditioner is a machine that adjusts the air.
Common mistake: 调 has two readings. Learners often say diào here because of 调查 (diàochá), but in 空调 it is tiáo, the same as in 调整 (tiáozhěng). Also keep 空 in first tone, kōng, not the fourth tone kòng found in 有空儿 (yǒukòngr).
空调 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
空 kōng · empty · 8 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
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- 7
- 8
调 diào · to transfer · 10 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
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- 9
- 10
Related words
Words that share a character with 空调.
| 空气 | kōngqì | air; atmosphere |
| 有空儿 | yǒukòngr | erhua form of 有空[you3 kong4] |
| 调查 | diàochá | investigation; inquiry |
| 天空 | tiānkōng | sky |
| 调整 | tiáozhěng | to adjust; to revise; to reorganize |
| 强调 | qiángdiào | to emphasize (a statement); to stress |
| 空儿 | kòngr | spare time; free time |
| 空间 | kōngjiān | space; room; (fig.) scope; leeway |
| 航空 | hángkōng | aviation |
| 调皮 | tiáopí | naughty; mischievous |
| 单调 | dāndiào | monotonous |
| 填空 | tiánkòng | to fill a job vacancy; to fill in a blank (e.g. on a form, questionnaire or exam paper) |
Questions about 空调
What does 空调 mean?
空调 (kōngtiáo) means "air conditioning; air conditioner (including units that have a heating mode)" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 空调?
空调 is made of 2 characters: 空 (8 strokes), 调 (10 strokes). That is 18 strokes in total.
Is 空调 an HSK word?
Yes. 空调 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 空调 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 空调 is written 空調.
How do you say to set the air conditioner to a certain temperature?
Use 开到 (kāi dào) or 调到 (tiáo dào) plus the number of degrees. For example, 把空调开到二十六度 (bǎ kōngtiáo kāi dào èrshíliù dù) means set the AC to 26 degrees.
Can 空调 mean heating as well as cooling?
Yes. In Chinese, 空调 covers units that also have a heating mode, so people may say 开空调 in winter too. Central heating with radiators is usually called 暖气 (nuǎnqì) instead.