(bīng) - ice & cold

Tone 1

bīng | 6 strokes | radical: 冫

· bīng

ice;

cold;

frozen;

to chill;

to freeze;

ice-like in appearance or quality.

icecoldfrozen

Usage highlights

ice creamice cuberefrigeratorglacierice hockeyice sculpture

Synonyms

  • freeze; frozen
  • cold
  • cold; frigid

Antonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The lake is covered with ice (冰).
  • I like to eat ice cream (冰淇淋).
  • Please put the drinks on ice (冰镇).
  • The skater glided on the ice (冰面).

Collocations

  • ice cream(冰淇淋)
  • ice cube(冰块)
  • refrigerator(冰箱)
  • glacier(冰川)
  • ice hockey(冰球)
  • ice sculpture(冰雕)

Idioms

  • As pure as ice and jade(冰清玉洁)
  • Ice-cold and freezing cold(冰天雪地)
  • Break the ice(打破僵局, but often associated with 破冰)
  • Ice and charcoal cannot share the same container(冰炭不相容)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Chinese culture, ice symbolizes purity, clarity, and coldness, often used metaphorically to describe noble character.
  • Ice is associated with winter and the water element in traditional Chinese philosophy.
  • The character combines the ice radical (冫) with the water component (水), showing its relationship to frozen water.

FAQ