lit6冽
Jyutpinglit6
Yaleliht
Definition
Cold, icy, or piercingly cold; clear and pure.
- piercingly cold; icy
- clear; pure (of liquids)
colloquialweatherdescriptions
How it's used
Used primarily to describe a sharp, piercing cold that feels raw against the skin. It conveys a sense of intensity that goes beyond simple low temperatures, often implying a biting wind or a crisp, biting atmosphere. While it can describe clear water or wine in literary contexts, its everyday spoken application is almost exclusively reserved for harsh weather conditions.
Examples
The weather is biting cold tonight, remember to put on an extra layer.
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe a person's personality or a cold object like a drink, as it specifically refers to the sensation of ambient cold air or wind. For general coldness, use 凍 instead.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
