冷蔵庫
Meaning in Englishrefrigerator, fridge
Animated kanji stroke order
Related sentences
Related sentences
There are no published items in this section yet.
Word context
What it means
What does 冷蔵庫 mean? A household appliance that keeps food cold to slow spoilage; in English it is the refrigerator or fridge used in homes and offices.
Main meanings
- Primary meaning: a domestic appliance designed to chill and store perishable foods and beverages.
- Colloquial usage: commonly called the fridge in everyday English.
- Related term: 冷凍庫 refers to a freezer and is distinct from a general refrigerator.
How to use it
Used in casual and formal contexts to name the appliance; in product manuals and signage the term 冷蔵庫 is common, while English contexts may use refrigerator or fridge; in everyday speech it refers to household refrigeration rather than industrial cold storage.
Variants and close terms
- 冷蔵機 (れいぞうき, reizouki) — generic cooling device
- 冷凍庫 (れいとうこ, reitouko) — freezer
- fridge — English loanword used in casual speech
Composition
- 冷 - cold, cool
- 蔵 - storehouse, warehouse
- 庫 - warehouse, storehouse
- The combination conveys a dedicated cold-storage facility for perishable items, read as 冷蔵庫 (reizouko).
Etymology
冷 (rei) + 蔵 (zou) + 庫 (ko) combine to form a three-kanji compound read as reizouko; the word uses on'yomi readings typical of Sino-Japanese coinages and reflects a modern appliance name.
Origin
Introduced to Japan in the early 20th century as electricity and Western-style kitchens spread; the term was coined to describe a new cooling device for home use.
Word class
noun (名詞)