冰淇淋
bīngqílín
The English phrase "ice cream" is translated into Chinese as 冰淇淋 (bīngqílín). Wiktionary also lists 雪糕 (xuěgāo) and 冰糕 (bīnggāo).
Meaning: dessert (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 冰淇淋 | bīngqílín | |
| 雪糕 | xuěgāo | |
| 冰糕 | bīnggāo | |
| 冰激凌 | bīngjīlíng | Mainland China |
Which one should you use?
While 冰淇淋 refers to ice cream in general, 雪糕 is often used to refer specifically to frozen treats on a stick, such as popsicles or ice cream bars. Additionally, the term 冰棍 refers to popsicles in northern China and is occasionally used to describe ice cream colloquially.
Is it said differently in some regions?
雪糕 is used to refer to ice cream in Hong Kong or among Cantonese speakers. In Mainland China, the spelling 冰激凌 is a common variant. In northern China, the term 冰棍 refers to popsicles.
How do you pronounce it?
bīngqílín
Did you know?
- The word 冰淇淋 is a phonetic loan from English, where 淇淋 sounds like 'cream'.
- While 冰淇淋 describes the creamy dessert, 雪糕 literally translates to 'snow cake'.
- The character 激 in the variant 冰激凌 is often used in words relating to 'stimulation' or 'suddenness', making the phonetic connection to 'cream' quite abstract.
Examples in context
- 热得想吃冰淇淋。The heat is making me crave for an ice cream.This sentence shows how to express a craving for 冰淇淋.Tatoeba #2442200 by ydcok, translation #2442242 by FeuDRenais2
- 給我留點冰淇淋。Leave me a bit of ice cream.This sentence shows how to ask someone to save some 冰淇淋 for you.Tatoeba #3786751 by egg0073, translation #1663260 by liwan1208
- 我不會吃冰淇淋。I will not eat ice cream.This sentence shows a statement about the act of eating 冰淇淋.Tatoeba #6169145 by verdastelo9604, translation #1132445 by Scott
- 今天天气真热，我们赶紧去吃个 冰激凌 吧！The weather is so hot today. Let's hurry up and grab an ice cream!
- 24 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are walking in a shopping mall on a hot afternoon.
- 俊杰 Junjie天氣太熱了，我們去買點冰淇淋吧。Tiānqì tài rè le, wǒmen qù mǎi diǎn bīngqílín ba.It's too hot, let's go buy some ice cream.
- 雨婷 Yuting好啊，我也想吃甜的。Hǎo a, wǒ yě xiǎng chī tián de.Okay, I want to eat something sweet too.
- 俊杰 Junjie妳想吃巧克力口味的嗎？Nǐ xiǎng chī qiǎokèlì kǒuwèi de ma?Do you want chocolate flavor?
- 雨婷 Yuting不，我想吃香草口味的。Bù, wǒ xiǎng chī xiāngcǎo kǒuwèi de.No, I want to eat vanilla flavor.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ice cream” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 冰淇淋, 冰激凌, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
