冷气

• Pinyin: lěng qì
• Hanzi breakdown: 冷 = 冫(ice) + 令, cold; 气 = simplified from 氣, air/gas

Meaning

Air conditioning; cold air. Both the cool air itself and the device that produces it.

In Southern China, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia, 冷气 is the common term for air conditioning (more formal: 空调). Can refer to both the cold air output and the AC unit itself. Common phrases: 开冷气 (turn on the AC), 冷气房 (air-conditioned room), 冷气机 (AC unit).

Examples

1. 商场里的冷气开得太低了，我都快冻感冒了。 The AC in the mall is turned way too low; I'm almost catching a cold.
2. 夏天没有冷气简直没法在办公室工作，热得人头昏脑涨。 In summer, it's simply impossible to work in the office without air conditioning; the heat makes your head spin.
3. 这辆车的冷气坏了，大热天开着窗户，简直是受罪。 The AC in this car is broken; driving with the windows down on such a hot day is pure torture.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, weather, comfort

Tone: casual

Do Say

• 可以把冷气调小一点吗？(Can you turn down the AC a bit?)
• 外面太热了，进来吹吹冷气吧。(It's too hot outside; come in and enjoy the AC.)

Don't Say

• 在北方说冷气 (Northern Chinese typically say 空调; 冷气 is more common in the south and Taiwan)

Origin & History

Compound of 冷 (cold) + 气 (air/gas). A straightforward descriptive term for cooled air or air conditioning.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal