天寒地冻
tiān hán dì dòng
bitterly cold; freezing
Character by character
天tiān
sky
sky
寒hán
cold
cold
地dì
ground
ground
冻dòng
frozen
frozen
Example
天寒地冻的，你怎么只穿一件毛衣就出门了？
It’s freezing out there. How can you go out in just a jumper?
Tone: neutral.
Usage and origin
Describes the weather or the season, often as the setting for hardship: 在天寒地冻的高原上. In speech it often takes 的 and stands on its own as a reason, as in the example.
Learn this in Lesson 120 · HSK 7–9: 定日地震 (Disaster report: the Tingri earthquake)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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