寒さ

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 寒さ is read as さむさ and is a noun formed from 寒い plus nominalizing さ, meaning cold conditions or degree of coldness.
• Basic usage: Cold as a cause appears in 寒さで凍る, while comparison of degree appears in 寒さが違う.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Difference from 寒気
  • 寒さ describes environmental cold or its degree; 寒気 can denote cold air or a chill felt by the body.
• Adjective versus degree noun
  • 寒い directly describes a cold state, while 寒さ packages that state as a noun that can be compared or discussed.