凄 (qī) - chilly, cold & bleak, desolate

凄Tone 1

qī ｜ 10 strokes ｜ radical:

七器

凄 · qī

chilly, cold;

bleak, desolate;

sorrowful, mournful;

intense, severe

chilly, coldbleak, desolatesorrowful, mournful

Usage highlights

desolate and coldtragic and miserablesorrowful expressionchilly windbitter raindesolate scene

Synonyms

  • 凉— cool, cold (temperature)
  • 悲— sad, sorrowful
  • 惨— miserable, tragic

Antonyms

  • 暖— warm
  • 乐— happy, joyful
  • 欢— joyful, cheerful

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The autumn wind feels chilly (秋风凄冷).
  • She wept bitterly (凄然泪下).
  • The scene was bleak and desolate (景象凄凉).
  • The story has a tragic ending (结局凄惨).

Collocations

  • desolate and cold(凄凉)
  • tragic and miserable(凄惨)
  • sorrowful expression(凄然)
  • chilly wind(凄风)
  • bitter rain(凄雨)
  • desolate scene(凄景)

Idioms

  • Desolate wind and bitter rain(凄风苦雨)
  • Desolate and bleak(凄凄凉凉)
  • Tragic and miserable(凄凄惨惨)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Often used in classical Chinese poetry to describe autumnal scenes and melancholic moods
  • Frequently appears in literature depicting separation, loss, or hardship
  • Carries strong emotional connotations of sadness and desolation in Chinese cultural context

FAQ