冬天
dōngtiān/tʊŋ⁵⁵ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵/
In Chinese, 'winter' can be expressed through several forms, most commonly as 冬天 (dōngtiān). Wiktionary also lists 冬季 (dōngjì).
Meaning: fourth season, marked by short days and the lowest temperatures (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 冬天 | dōngtiān | /tʊŋ⁵⁵ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /tʊŋ⁵⁵ tʰi̯ɛn²/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 冬季 | dōngjì | /tʊŋ⁵⁵ t͡ɕi⁵¹/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /tʊŋ⁵⁵ kʷɐi̯³³/ (Cantonese, Guangzhou, Sinological IPA, Standard Cantonese, Hong Kong) |
|
| 冬天 | tang-thiⁿ | /taŋ³³ tʰĩ³³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Sinological IPA, General Taiwanese) /taŋ⁴⁴⁻²² tʰĩ⁴⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Sinological IPA, General Taiwanese) |
Hokkien |
| 寒人 | kôaⁿ–lâng | Hokkien | |
| 寒天 | kôaⁿ-thiⁿ | /kuã²⁴⁻²² tʰĩ⁴⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Sinological IPA, Xiamen) /kuã²⁴⁻²² tʰĩ³³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Sinological IPA, Quanzhou) |
Hokkien |
The term refers to the fourth season, characterized by the shortest days and the lowest temperatures. You may also use the verb 过冬 to mean spending the winter in a particular place for a holiday, or to describe the act of surviving the cold season, such as animals or people enduring the winter.
Which one should you use?
While 冬天 is the common way to say winter, 冬季 is a more formal term often used in technical, meteorological or written contexts to refer to the winter season. Additionally, 寒冬 is a formal way to say winter that emphasizes the cold aspect.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Dungan, you can use дунтян or хантян. In Hokkien, the forms 冬天, 寒人 and 寒天 are used.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation for 冬天 is tang-thiⁿ (/tʊŋ⁵⁵ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵/).
Did you know?
- In Chinese culture, the winter solstice, known as 冬至, is often celebrated by eating 'dumplings' or 'tangyuan' (glutinous rice balls) to stay warm and healthy.
- The word 天 in 冬天 literally means 'sky' or 'day', making the word 'winter' a compound that translates more closely to 'winter-sky' or 'winter-day'.
- In the traditional 24 solar terms calendar, the period of 'winter' is divided into specific stages, such as 小雪 for 'light snow' and 大雪 for 'heavy snow'.
Examples in context
- 我讨厌冬天。I hate the winter.This sentence shows how to express a dislike for the season using 冬天.Tatoeba #10260801 by GlossaMatik, translation #2516435 by CK
- 冬天快来了。Winter is coming on.This sentence describes the approaching of the season using 冬天.Tatoeba #13941583 by jan_OkulaJu, translation #279602 by CM
- 我不喜欢冬天。I don't like winter.This sentence demonstrates a simple expression of preference regarding 冬天.Tatoeba #4673821 by McMeao, translation #1570519 by fanty
- 明日将跨入寒冬，记得添衣保暖。Tomorrow we will enter winter. Remember to dress warmly.
- 冬季是一个白雪皑皑的季节。Winter is a season of pure white snowscapes.
- 冬日里泡一杯热茶，简直太惬意了。It's so cozy to enjoy a cup of hot tea during winter.
- 89 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about the weather outside.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen冬天真的很冷。dōng tiān zhēn de hěn lěng.Winter is really cold.
- 志强 Zhiqiang是啊，我喜欢夏天。shì a, wǒ xǐ huān xià tiān.Yeah, I like summer.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen你打算去哪里旅游？nǐ dǎ suàn qù nǎ lǐ lǚ yóu?Where do you plan to travel?
- 志强 Zhiqiang我想去温暖的地方。wǒ xiǎng qù wēn nuǎn de dì fang.I want to go somewhere warm.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “winter” translations and entries 冬天, 冬季, 冬天, 寒人, 寒天, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
