freeze

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 凍 has ten strokes, the on-reading とう, and the representative kun-readings こおる and こごえる.
• Basic usage: It is used for water freezing, a person feeling intensely cold, and freezing food.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Freezing and feeling freezing cold
  • 凍る(こおる) describes water or a wet road freezing. 凍える(こごえる) describes a person feeling freezing cold.
• Freezing and thawing
  • 冷凍(れいとう) is freezing for storage; 解凍(かいとう) is thawing something frozen. For a file, 解凍 means decompression.