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HSK 3

冰箱

refrigerator; fridge

nounneutral
bīng1st tone
xiāng1st tone

HSK level

1
2
3
4
5
6
Pinyin
bīngxiāng
Part of speech
noun
Level
HSK 3
Strokes
21
Register
neutral
Measure word
台 / 个

Stroke order for 冰箱

冰箱 is written with 21 strokes (: 6, : 15). The animation replays automatically.

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 (the appliance measure word), though is acceptable in casual speech. Two practical notes: first, the verb (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 attached — Chinese always marks the inside position explicitly, unlike English 'in the fridge.'

Character by character

bīngice
+
xiāngbox; chest; case
=
冰箱

Memory hook: 冰 (ice) + 箱 (box) — literally 'ice box,' which is what a fridge does.

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

放进冰箱fàng jìn bīngxiāngto put into the fridge
冰箱里bīngxiāng lǐinside the fridge
打开冰箱dǎkāi bīngxiāngto open the fridge
一台冰箱yì tái bīngxiāngone refrigerator
冰箱坏了bīngxiāng huài lethe fridge is broken

Synonyms

电冰箱diàn bīngxiāng

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

箱子xiāngzi

箱子 means 'box / chest / suitcase' — any container. 冰箱 specifically means a fridge. They share but 箱子 is just a generic box.

冰块bīngkuài

冰块 means 'ice cube.' Shares with 冰箱, but a 冰块 is the ice itself, not the appliance.

空调kōngtiáo

空调 means 'air conditioner' — another household appliance that involves cooling. Beginners sometimes mix up the two cold appliances; 冰箱 cools food, 空调 cools rooms.

FAQ

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