清凉

• Pinyin: qīng liáng
• Hanzi breakdown: 清 = 氵+ 青 (clear/pure); 凉 = 冫+ 京 (cool/cold)

Meaning

Cool and refreshing; pleasantly cool to the body or senses. Describes a temperature, sensation, or substance that relieves heat and brings comfort.

Used for weather, breezes, water, food, and products like 清凉油 (tiger balm). Often appears in summer contexts and carries strongly positive, refreshing connotations. The compound 清凉感 (a cooling sensation) is common in product descriptions.

Examples

1. 傍晚时分，山间吹来一阵清凉的微风，令久坐的游客顿感神清气爽。 At dusk, a cool breeze swept through the mountains, and the visitors who’d been sitting for a long time immediately felt refreshed and energized.
2. 她饮下一杯冰镇绿茶，清凉甘爽的滋味从喉咙蔓延至全身，暑气顿消。 She drank a glass of iced green tea; its cool, pleasantly sweet taste spread from her throat through her whole body, and the summer heat instantly faded.
3. 这款护肤品添加了薄荷成分，涂抹后带来持久的清凉舒适感。 This skincare product contains peppermint; after applying it, it leaves a long-lasting cool, comfortable feeling.

Usage Guide

Context: weather, food, personal care, nature

Tone: positive

Do Say

• 夏日午后，在树荫下感受清凉的微风，是一种简单而真实的幸福。(Sitting in the shade of a tree on a summer afternoon and feeling the refreshing cool breeze is a simple yet genuine form of happiness.)
• 游泳池里的清凉水温迅速驱散了酷暑带来的燥热与疲惫。(The refreshingly cool water of the pool quickly dispelled the sweltering heat and fatigue brought on by the intense summer.)

Don't Say

• 他的态度很清凉 — use 冷淡 or 冷漠 for a cold or indifferent attitude; 清凉 describes a pleasant physical coolness, not interpersonal coldness

Origin & History

清 (clear/pure) + 凉 (cool) — pure and pleasantly cool

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal