零下

• Pinyin: líng xià
• Hanzi breakdown: 零 (líng) — zero; 下 (xià) — below, under

Meaning

Below zero; sub-zero. Used to describe temperatures below freezing point.

Always used before a temperature number to indicate negative degrees Celsius. Common in weather reports and daily conversation about cold weather. The opposite is 零上 (above zero), though 零上 is often omitted for positive temperatures.

Examples

1. 今天的温度是零下五度。 Today's temperature is minus five degrees.
2. 冬天这里经常零下二十度。 In winter it often reaches minus twenty here.
3. 零下的天气出门要多穿衣服。 You need to wear more clothes when going out in sub-zero weather.

Usage Guide

Context: weather, everyday

Tone: informative

Do Say

• 明天零下十度，别忘了穿大衣。(It'll be minus ten tomorrow — don't forget your coat.)
• 北京冬天经常零下。(Beijing often goes below zero in winter.)

Don't Say

• 不要说'零下很多' (Don't say 零下很多 — specify the number, like 零下二十度)

Origin & History

Compound of 零 (zero) and 下 (below). A straightforward directional compound indicating below the zero mark on a thermometer.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal