冷冷清清
冷冷清清 (lěng lěng qīng qīng) literally means “cold cold quiet quiet” and expresses “deserted and lifeless atmosphere”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving life philosophy.
Also searched as: leng leng qing qing, leng leng qing qing,冷冷清清 meaning, 冷冷清清 in english
Deserted and lifeless atmosphere
Pronunciation: lěng lěng qīng qīng Literal meaning: Cold cold quiet quiet
Origin & Usage
Li Qingzhao opens one of the most famous lyrics in the language with a run of doubled sounds — searching and searching, cold (冷冷) and clear (清清), desolate and grieving. She was writing as a refugee and a widow. The phrase keeps both halves of the sensation, temperature and silence, and it suits places that were once full: a shop after the trade has gone, a house after a family has left, a street out of season.
Examples
English: "The once-bustling shopping mall now stood eerily deserted"
Chinese: 曾经熙熙攘攘的购物中心如今冷冷清清地矗立着
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about life philosophy
心灰意冷
xīn huī yì lěng
Disheartened and despondent
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口蜜腹剑
kǒu mì fù jiàn
Hide evil behind sweet words
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笑里藏刀
xiào lǐ cáng dāo
Hide malice behind smile
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画饼充饥
huà bǐng chōng jī
Empty promises satisfy nothing
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无地自容
wú dì zì róng
Extremely ashamed; wish to disappear
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自暴自弃
zì bào zì qì
Give up on oneself entirely
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冰清玉洁
bīng qīng yù jié
Impeccable moral character and integrity
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旁观者清
páng guān zhě qīng
Unbiased perspective
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 冷冷清清 mean in English?
冷冷清清 (lěng lěng qīng qīng) literally translates to “Cold cold quiet quiet” and is used to express “Deserted and lifeless atmosphere”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Life Philosophy category.
When is 冷冷清清 used?
Situation: The once-bustling shopping mall now stood eerily deserted
What is the pinyin for 冷冷清清?
The pinyin pronunciation for 冷冷清清 is “lěng lěng qīng qīng”.
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