冷透 (lěng tòu) literally combines 冷 (‘cold’) and 透 (‘through’ or ‘thoroughly’), meaning ‘chilled to the bone’—a vivid expression for extreme, penetrating cold that affects the whole body. It describes not just surface chill but deep, uncomfortable coldness, often implying physical discomfort, shivering, or even health concerns like catching a cold from prolonged exposure.

This phrase is commonly used in spoken and written Chinese to emphasize intensity, especially when describing weather, indoor conditions, or someone’s physical state after being outdoors in winter. It’s stronger than simply 冷 or 很冷, carrying a sense of exhaustion or vulnerability due to cold. While it can occasionally appear in literary or descriptive contexts (e.g., food left too long), its primary usage relates to human physical experience—especially health-related warnings or empathetic observations about someone feeling unwell from cold.