冻 dòng cold
cold; to freeze; jelly; to feel very cold
How to remember 冻: 冫 ice + 东 east = cold. The ice on the bus shelter roof and the wind from the east make the early commuters stamp their feet in the bitter cold.
Component breakdown
冻 = 冫 ice + 东 east
- 冫 ice
- 东 east
The ice on the bus shelter roof and the wind from the east make the early commuters stamp their feet in the bitter cold.
How it is used
- Bound in 冷冻 lěngdòng "to freeze (food)" and 冻结 dòngjié "to freeze (assets, a process)" - the latter works figuratively too, e.g. freezing a bank account or a policy.
- 冻死了 dòngsǐle "freezing to death!" is a common spoken exaggeration for feeling very cold, parallel to 累死了/饿死了.
- 果冻 guǒdòng "jelly, Jell-O" uses the same 冻 for a gel-like texture.