(れいき)

れいき
noun
cold air; chill
1. cold air; chill; frigid atmosphere
Cold air or a sensation of chill, whether from weather, a cold room, or a refrigerated space.
冷気(れいき)部屋(へや)(はい)ってきた。
Cold air came into the room.
冷蔵庫(れいぞうこ)()けると冷気(れいき)()れた。
Cold air escaped when I opened the refrigerator.
(まど)隙間(すきま)から冷気(れいき)(しの)()み、背筋(せすじ)がぞくっとした。
Cold air crept in through the gap in the window, sending a chill down my spine.

Refers to the physical sensation or presence of cold air. Unlike (さむ)さ, which describes the general feeling of being cold, 冷気(れいき) specifically describes the cold air itself as a tangible thing that moves, enters, or envelops.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 冷気(れいき)(ただよ)う: cold air drifts/lingers
  • 冷気(れいき)(なが)()む: cold air flows in
  • 冷気(れいき)(かん)じる: to feel the chill
  • 冷気(れいき)(さえぎ)る: to block the cold air

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • 寒気(かんき): cold air (atmospheric) — used more for weather phenomena and large-scale cold fronts
  • 冷風(れいふう): cold wind/breeze — specifically moving cold air
  • 暖気(だんき): warm air — the opposite concept