chladno

Chladno is a Czech adverb used to describe low temperature or cool conditions. It is commonly employed to characterize weather, air, or surroundings and answers questions about how warm or cold something is. For example, one might say: “Je chladno venku” (It is cold outside) or “Zítra bude chladno.” The term can also appear in phrases about a season, a room, or an environment.

Etymology and cognates: chladno is formed from the noun chlad (cold) or the adjective chladný (cold) with a suffix that creates an adverb describing a state or condition. The word has cognates across Slavic languages, such as Polish chłodno and Russian холодно, reflecting a common Proto-Slavic root for cold.

Usage notes: In everyday Czech, chladno is the standard way to express that the temperature is not warm. It is primarily observational and meteorological in scope. For describing someone’s manner or atmosphere in a colder sense, speakers may use related forms such as chladně (coolly) or chladný (cold, describing a person or object), depending on context. The term is less often used to convey emotional coldness directly, which is typically expressed with adjectives like chladný or phrases describing mood.

See also: chlad (cold, as a noun), chladný (cold, adjective), teplo (warmth), počasí (weather).