How to Write 冷 (cool, cold (beer, person), chill) — Stroke Order, Readings & Printable Worksheet
Master the 7-stroke writing sequence of the JLPT N3 (Kyōiku Kanji Grade 4 (小学4年生)) character 冷 (“cool, cold (beer, person), chill”), indexed under the 冫 (にすい (ice)) radical. Practice 冷 alongside high-frequency Japanese Jukugo compounds such as 冷たい (つめたい (tsumetai) — cool), 冷える (ひえる (hieru) — cool).
🔍 Radical & Component Breakdown (冷)
Primary Radical (部首): 冫 — にすい (ice)
Radical Position: Standalone / Integrated (部首)
Semantic Theme: Radical 冫
Curriculum & Reading Usage: Kyōiku Kanji Grade 4 (小学4年生) (JLPT N3). Use the Sino-Japanese Onyomi (レイ) when 冷 combines with other Kanji in multi-character Jukugo compounds, and use the native Japanese Kunyomi (つめ.たい, ひ.える, ひ.や, ひ.ややか, ひ.やす, ひ.やかす, さ.める, さ.ます) when 冷 appears as a standalone noun or with Hiragana okurigana endings.
Genkō Yōshi Proportions (7画): Written with 7 strokes, 冷 is an intermediate multi-component character built around the 冫 (にすい (ice)) radical (Standalone / Integrated position). Establish the 冫 component first in its quadrant so the remaining 5 strokes maintain balanced left-right or top-bottom proportions.
📜 Etymology & Mnemonic Insight (六書 / Rikusho)
冫 (meaning) + 令 (sound レイ)
Derived from the meaning radical 冫 (にすい (ice)) and the phonetic component 令, giving the on-reading レイ.
Common Japanese Words & Jukugo Using 冷
Frequently Asked Questions About Kanji 冷 (FAQ)
How many strokes are in 冷 and how is it structured?
The Japanese character 冷 ("cool, cold (beer, person), chill") is written with 7 strokes (7画) as a JLPT N3 (Kyōiku Kanji Grade 4 (小学4年生)) intermediate multi-component Kanji (6–11 strokes) indexed under the 冫 (にすい (ice)) radical. Written with 7 strokes, 冷 is an intermediate multi-component character built around the 冫 (にすい (ice)) radical (Standalone / Integrated position). Establish the 冫 component first in its quadrant so the remaining 5 strokes maintain balanced left-right or top-bottom proportions.
What are the Onyomi, Kunyomi, and Jukugo words for 冷?
For 冷 (JLPT N3), the Onyomi is レイ and the Kunyomi is つめ.たい, ひ.える, ひ.や, ひ.ややか, ひ.やす, ひ.やかす, さ.める, さ.ます. Use the Sino-Japanese Onyomi (レイ) when 冷 combines with other Kanji in multi-character Jukugo compounds, and use the native Japanese Kunyomi (つめ.たい, ひ.える, ひ.や, ひ.ややか, ひ.やす, ひ.やかす, さ.める, さ.ます) when 冷 appears as a standalone noun or with Hiragana okurigana endings. High-frequency Japanese vocabulary using 冷 includes 冷たい (つめたい (tsumetai) — cool), 冷える (ひえる (hieru) — cool).
What is the stroke order rule for writing 冷 on Genkō Yōshi paper?
When writing the 7 strokes of 冷 (cool, cold (beer, person), chill), start with the 冫 (にすい (ice)) in the Standalone / Integrated (部首) position and follow standard Japanese Hitsujun (筆順) principles: top to bottom (上から下) and left to right (左から右). Practice 冷 interactively on the Kanji Scribe canvas or print a free A4 Genkō Yōshi PDF worksheet.
More JLPT N3 Characters to Practice Next
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