冰箱
refrigerator; fridge
bīngxiāng
What does 冰箱 mean?
冰箱 (bīngxiāng) is the everyday Chinese word for 'refrigerator / fridge' — the kitchen appliance that keeps food cold. Literally 'ice box,' the word survives from the era when actual ice boxes preceded electric refrigeration, but today it refers to any modern fridge. In Mainland Mandarin, 冰箱 covers both the refrigerator and the attached freezer; if you need to specify the freezer compartment, use 冷冻室 (lěngdòng shì) or 冷冻柜 (lěngdòng guì).
The proper measure word is 台 (the appliance measure word), though 个 is acceptable in casual speech. Two practical notes: first, the verb 放 (put) commonly pairs with 冰箱 — 放进冰箱 'put into the fridge'; second, 冰箱里 means 'inside the fridge,' with the location word 里 attached — Chinese always marks the inside position explicitly, unlike English 'in the fridge.'
Character breakdown
ice
box; chest; case
Memory hook: 冰 (ice) + 箱 (box) — literally 'ice box,' which is what a fridge does.
Measure word for 冰箱
Example sentences
牛奶在冰箱里。
Niúnǎi zài bīngxiāng lǐ.
The milk is in the fridge.
spoken
请把这些菜放进冰箱。
Qǐng bǎ zhèxiē cài fàng jìn bīngxiāng.
Please put these dishes into the fridge.
neutral
我们家的冰箱坏了。
Wǒmen jiā de bīngxiāng huài le.
Our fridge is broken.
spoken
他买了一台新冰箱。
Tā mǎi le yì tái xīn bīngxiāng.
He bought a new refrigerator.
neutral
Common phrases with 冰箱
Synonyms
电冰箱 is the full formal name — 'electric refrigerator,' used on packaging or in technical contexts. In daily life everyone just says 冰箱.
Don't confuse 冰箱 with
FAQ
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