薄氷

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 薄氷 is read as うすごおり and is a noun for a thin layer of ice formed on the surface of water in cold weather.
• Basic usage: Thin ice forming on a pond appears in 池に薄氷が張る, while its beginning to melt appears in 薄氷が溶け始める.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Thin enough to melt or break easily
  • It focuses on a fragile surface layer that has formed on water rather than a thick, solid sheet of ice.
• Difference from 氷
  • Compared with the general word for ice, this term specifically identifies a thinly frozen layer.