‘冷饮’ literally means ‘cold drink’—‘冷’ (lěng) means ‘cold’ or ‘chilled’, and ‘饮’ (yǐn) is a noun-forming suffix meaning ‘beverage’ or ‘drink’. Together, they refer to any non-alcoholic, chilled beverage commonly consumed to refresh or cool down, especially in warm weather. It’s a general term—not limited to sweet drinks—and includes items like iced tea, chilled soy milk, fruit juice served cold, or even plain iced water.

This word is widely used in everyday spoken and written Chinese, especially in food service contexts: menus, convenience stores, street vendors, and restaurant signage often list ‘冷饮’ as a category. Unlike ‘冰饮’ (bīng yǐn), which implies the drink contains ice, ‘冷饮’ emphasizes temperature (chilled) rather than presence of ice. It carries no formality bias—it’s neutral and appropriate for all registers, from casual conversation to commercial labeling.