冷たい

• Reading: つめたい
• Romaji: tsumetai
• Kanji breakdown: 冷 (tsume/rei) — cold, cool, chill
• Pronunciation: /t͡sɯ.me.ta.i/

Meaning

Cold (to the touch); chilly; icy. Describes the coldness of objects, drinks, and surfaces.

An i-adjective for cold things you can touch — water, drinks, hands, surfaces. Distinct from 寒い (samui), which describes cold air or weather. Also used figuratively for an emotionally cold person (冷たい人). Conjugates regularly: 冷たくない, 冷たかった.

Examples

1. 冷たい水をください。 Could I have some cold water, please?
2. 今日は手が冷たいです。 My hands are cold today.
3. 冷たいアイスクリームが食べたい。 I want to eat cold ice cream.

Usage Guide

Context: temperature, food, daily life

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

The kanji 冷 contains the ice radical (冫), directly representing cold. Combined with たい, it has described cold-to-the-touch sensations since classical Japanese.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal