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道Nihongo Path
冷

冷·cold, cool, chill

On-yomi
レイ
Kun-yomi
つめたいひえるひやすさめる

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Stroke order

Write it in this order; the numbers mark where each stroke starts.

7 strokes, numbered in writing order. Data: KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Common words

WordReadingMeaning
冷たいつめたいcold (to the touch)
冷蔵庫れいぞうこrefrigerator
冷房れいぼうair conditioning (cooling)
冷めるさめるto cool down (of something hot)

Example sentences

  1. 冷たい水を一杯ください。

    つめたいみずをいっぱいください。

    A glass of cold water, please.

  2. ビールは冷蔵庫に入っていますよ。

    びーるはれいぞうこにはいっていますよ。

    The beer is in the fridge.

  3. スープが冷めないうちに食べてください。

    すーぷがさめないうちにたべてください。

    Please eat the soup before it gets cold.

Similar-looking kanji

Do not confuse these on the exam.

Common mistakes

  • Using 冷たい for cold weather — weather is 寒い; 冷たい is what you touch
  • Confusing 冷める (something hot cools) with 冷える (something becomes chilled)

Memory aid

Picture it

The ice radical 冫(two strokes, like 氷) beside 令 — an order from the ice.

Vocabulary using this kanji

Quick check

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What does the kanji 冷 mean?