冬
winter
HSK level
- Pinyin
- dōng
- Part of speech
- noun
- Level
- HSK 3
- Strokes
- 5
- Register
- neutral
- Measure word
- 个
Stroke order for 冬
冬 is written with 5 strokes. The animation replays automatically.
What does 冬 mean?
冬 (dōng) means 'winter' — the cold season from roughly December through February in the northern hemisphere.
The character carries the 冫 (ice) component at the bottom in some forms, evoking frost. In modern Chinese 冬 is mostly a bound morpheme: stand-alone, native speakers say 冬天 (dōngtiān, 'winter day' → winter as a season) or 冬季 (dōngjì, 'winter season,' slightly more formal / written). 冬 itself appears throughout compounds: 冬天 (winter), 冬季 (winter season), 冬至 (Dōngzhì, winter solstice), 冬眠 (dōngmián, to hibernate), 立冬 (Lìdōng, the start-of-winter solar term).
The four seasons in Mandarin are 春夏秋冬 (chūn xià qiū dōng) — memorise that fixed order. China's north has long, snowy winters; the south stays mild — geography shapes how people use the word.
Note: On its own, 冬 is mostly bound (used inside compounds). Modern Chinese prefers the two-syllable 冬天 (dōngtiān) when speaking of the season as a stand-alone word.
Example sentences
北京的冬天很冷。
Běijīng de dōngtiān hěn lěng.
Beijing's winter is very cold.
neutral
我最喜欢的季节是冬天。
Wǒ zuì xǐhuan de jìjié shì dōngtiān.
My favorite season is winter.
neutral
冬天到了，要多穿衣服。
Dōngtiān dào le, yào duō chuān yīfu.
Winter has arrived — wear more clothes.
spoken
今年的冬天特别冷。
Jīnnián de dōngtiān tèbié lěng.
This year's winter is especially cold.
spoken
南方的冬天没有雪。
Nánfāng de dōngtiān méiyǒu xuě.
There is no snow in the southern winter.
neutral
Common phrases with 冬
Synonyms
冬天 is the everyday spoken word for winter as a season. Use 冬天 in conversation; reserve bare 冬 for compounds.
冬季 is slightly more written / formal — used in news, weather reports, and sports ('冬季奥运会' Winter Olympics). 冬天 is everyday speech.
Don't confuse 冬 with
FAQ
Acquire it by listening
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