About

The Chinese word 冰棍 (bīnggùn), meaning "popsicle" or "ice lolly," is a straightforward compound noun formed by combining two meaningful characters: 冰 (bīng), meaning "ice," and 棍 (gùn), meaning "stick." The word follows a descriptive-modifier structure common in Chinese, where the first element (冰) specifies the material or key attribute ("icy"), and the second element (棍) identifies the object's form or base category ("stick"). Thus, the term literally translates to "ice-stick," a perfectly logical and transparent description of the frozen treat on a stick.

Word Definition - 冰棍

bīng gùn popsicle; ice lolly; CL:根[gēn]

Individual Character Details