凝固

• Pinyin: níng gù
• Hanzi breakdown: 凝 = 冫 (ice/cold radical) + 疑 (to be uncertain/gather) — cold causing substances to gather and harden; 固 = 囗 (enclosure) + 古 (ancient/old) — something enclosed and set firm over time

Meaning

To solidify; to congeal; to become rigid or fixed; the process of a liquid turning into a solid.

Refers to the physical process of solidification — liquids becoming solid, such as concrete hardening, wax congealing, or blood clotting. Metaphorically: 时间凝固了 (time stood still), 凝固的笑容 (a frozen/fixed smile). In chemistry: 凝固点 (freezing point/solidification point). Also used in art: 凝固了历史的瞬间 (captured/frozen a moment in history).

Examples

1. 混凝土浇筑后需要数天时间才能完全凝固，在此期间应避免对其施加过大的外力或震动。 After concrete is poured, it takes several days to fully set; during that time, it should be protected from excessive force or vibration.
2. 那张照片定格了她含泪微笑的瞬间，仿佛将那份既悲且喜的复杂情感永远凝固在了时间之中。 That photo captured the moment she smiled through tears, as if freezing that bittersweet mix of emotions in time forever.
3. 蜡烛熄灭后，流淌的蜡液在台面上慢慢凝固，形成了一层白色的不规则图案。 After the candle went out, the melted wax slowly hardened on the tabletop, forming an irregular white pattern.

Usage Guide

Context: science, construction, literature, metaphor

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 金属在高温下熔化为液态，冷却后重新凝固，这一特性使其成为铸造精密零件的理想材料。(Metal melts into a liquid state at high temperatures and re-solidifies upon cooling — this property makes it an ideal material for casting precision components.)
• 那段历史如同凝固在博物馆橱柜中的文物，无声地诉说着一个民族曾经经历过的苦难与抗争。(That history is like artefacts frozen in museum display cases, silently recounting the suffering and resistance a nation once endured.)

Don't Say

• 将'凝固'与'冻结'混用于形容液体结冰 — 凝固 refers broadly to any solidification process; 冻结 specifically means freezing (water to ice) or, metaphorically, to freeze (assets, relations); choose based on context

Origin & History

凝 (to congeal/concentrate) + 固 (solid/firm) — to become firm by congealing

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal