冫
The 冫 radical
Ice, freezing
Memory hook
Two streaks of ice — it is the water radical 氵 minus one drop, because the water has frozen solid. That trick separates 冷 (cold) from 洗 (to wash) instantly.
The 冫 radical (read bīng) means ice, freezing. The HSK 3.0 data contains 17 characters and 106 words built on it — learning them together is far faster than one character at a time.
Practise the 冫 radical
Study this radical's 106 words with flashcards or a quiz.
The free plan drills 15 words per radical. Upgrade to Premium
Characters with the 冫 radical
17 charactersHSK 1· 3 characters
HSK 1冷
cold
净
only, just (left)
准
accurate; exact; to follow; to conform to
HSK 2· 2 characters
HSK 2冬
winter
凉
cool; cold
HSK 3· 2 characters
HSK 3决
to decide
况
situation, circumstances
HSK 4· 3 characters
HSK 4冰
ice
冲
to brew, to mix (with hot water)
减
to subtract, to reduce
HSK 5· 1 characters
HSK 5冻
to freeze, to become frozen
HSK 7-9· 6 characters
HSK 7-9冯
the surname Feng
冶
to smelt, to refine metal
凄
wretched, sorrowful
凌
to bully, to oppress
凑
to gather, to scrape together, to pool
凝
to congeal, to condense
Vocabulary with the 冫 radical
106 wordsWords containing at least one character with the 冫 radical, ordered by HSK level.
The free plan shows 9 words per HSK level (47/106 words of this radical).
cold
to prepare
clean
winter
accurate; precise
cool; cold
cool; pleasantly cool
to decide; to make up one's mind
determination; resolve
final (of a competition)
accurate; exact; to follow; to conform to
cool water; cold water (not hot)
resolute; determined
situation; circumstance
to approve; approval
standard; criterion
winter
ice
refrigerator
ice and snow
to brew, to mix (with hot water)
calm, composed
on time, punctual
to subtract, to reduce
to reduce, to decrease
impulsive, agitated
conflict, contradiction
absolutely not
to freeze, to become frozen
to alleviate
to face toward, facing
impact, to impact
to make strategic decisions
air conditioning, cold air
cold water
only, just (left)
sandals
semifinal
spotlessly clean, with nothing left
to be determined, to make up one's mind
not allowed, not permitted
let alone, much less
iceberg
ice pop (a popsicle made from frozen water, often fruit-flavored)
sprint, to sprint, the sprint phase
to collide, to crash into forcefully
to rinse, to flush with water
Why learn vocabulary by the 冫 radical?
The 冫 radical hints at the meaning ice, freezing. When you meet an unfamiliar character carrying it, you already know part of its meaning before reaching for a dictionary — which is why learners who know their radicals move faster.
How to study: read the memory hook, skim the 17 characters to spot the pattern, then drill the 106 words with flashcards. Spaced repetition brings each word back exactly when you need it.