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The character for ice, "冰", has a clear etymological construction that visually represents its meaning through the combination of two components. Its structure pairs the radical "冫", known as the "ice radical", which itself is a simplified pictographic representation of frozen crystalline patterns, with the character "水" for water placed to its right. This formation creates a logical semantic compound indicating water in its solid, frozen state. Over time, while its core meaning of "ice" has remained constant, the character's application broadened to function as a verb meaning "to chill" or "to ice" and as an adjective describing something as ice-cold. The traditional form of the character is identical to this, maintaining this transparent pictorial and semantic logic across centuries of use.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
我喜欢吃冰淇淋。
夏天吃冰淇淋很凉快。
冰箱里有很多冰块。
滑冰是一项有趣的运动。
湖面上结了一层厚厚的冰。
这种饮料需要加冰吗？
冰的密度比水小。
他用冰块敷在伤口上来消肿。