How do I say 'it's so cold'?

The Chinese cold-weather script has two parts: the complaint (好冷!) and the care (多穿点!). Together they form the basic winter social exchange:

1. Person A: 今天好冷啊！(It’s so cold today!)
2. Person B: 是啊，你多穿点。(Yeah — wear more layers.)

多穿点 is the care phrase that every Chinese person hears from parents, grandparents, and friends throughout winter. It is not a fashion critique — it is how Chinese people say “I care about your wellbeing” in cold weather. The appropriate response is 知道了 (I know / noted) or 穿了很多了 (I’m already wearing a lot).

Regional context matters: 北方 (the north) has heating (暖气 — nuǎnqì) and the cold is dry; 南方 (the south, especially south of the Yangtze) often lacks indoor heating and the cold is damp (湿冷 — shī lěng), which many Chinese consider more penetrating than northern dry cold. The phrase 南方的冷是魔法攻击 (“southern cold is a magic attack”) is a popular internet description.