冷蔵庫
Meaning in Englishrefrigerator, fridge
Animated kanji stroke order
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)