冷 (lěng) means "cold" with HSK 1 on the new exam.
Pronunciation
Meaning
Primary: cold
Etymology
Oracle-bone origin
冷 does not appear in oracle-bone or bronze inscriptions and is a later phono-semantic compound, first attested in seal-era sources. The left component 冫 (two strokes) is the 'ice' radical, a reduced form of 冰, giving the semantic field of cold. The right component 令 (lìng) serves as phonetic, though the sound match is imperfect and has shifted over time.
Form evolution
Seal script shows 冫 on the left with a clearly drawn 令 on the right, the latter depicting a kneeling figure under a roof. Clerical script flattens 冫 into two short diagonal strokes and squares off 令 into its modern three-part shape. The 楷书 form of seven strokes is essentially identical to the clerical version.
How the meaning evolved
From its coinage, 冷 has meant 'cold' in the physical sense, overlapping with but distinct from 寒 (hán, a deeper or more literary cold). It extended early to metaphorical senses: 'indifferent, unfeeling' (冷淡), 'unpopular, neglected' (冷门), and 'quiet, desolate' (冷清). All these extensions are active in modern Mandarin.
Cultural note
The idiom 冷嘲热讽 (lěng cháo rè fěng, 'cold mockery and hot sarcasm') uses 冷 in its metaphorical emotional sense. Learners should distinguish 冷 (generally 'cold', any context) from 凉 (liáng, 'cool', often pleasant) and 寒 (hán, severe or poetic cold); menu items for chilled dishes typically use 凉 rather than 冷.
Basic info
| Pinyin | lěng |
| Meanings | cold |
| New HSK exam | Recognise at HSK 1 |
| Frequency | #772 most common |
Example sentences
Words containing 冷
On the new HSK 1 exam
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Reviewed by RJ Murray, Founder, HSK Lord.