adjective HSK 2
cold · chilly · indifferent
Meaning
冷 is a fundamental adjective meaning 'cold' in both temperature and emotional senses. It describes physical coldness (weather, water, objects) and figurative coldness (unfriendly attitude, quiet atmosphere). It's one of the first temperature words learners encounter.
Usage
Used for weather (天气冷), objects (水很冷), and people's attitudes (态度冷淡). When describing personality, it suggests aloofness or unfriendliness. Commonly paired with 很 (very) since it's a stative adjective. Can function as a verb meaning 'to become cold' or 'to cool down'.
Examples
- 01今天天气很冷，你要多穿点衣服。, .The weather is very cold today, you should wear more clothes.
- 02这杯水太冷了，我想喝热的。, .This cup of water is too cold, I want to drink something hot.
Common collocations
- 天气冷the weather is cold
- 冷水cold water
- 冷淡cold and indifferent
- 冷静calm, cool-headed
Antonyms
Origin
The character 冷 contains the ice radical 冫 on the left, indicating coldness, combined with 令 (lìng, command) as a phonetic component. The ice radical clearly signals its meaning related to cold temperatures.