气温

• Pinyin: qì wēn
• Hanzi breakdown: 气 (qì) — air, atmosphere; 温 (wēn) = 氵(water) + 昷 (warm, phonetic)

Meaning

Air temperature; the temperature of the atmosphere. Used in weather reports and daily conversation about how hot or cold it is.

The standard term for atmospheric temperature in Chinese. Very common in weather forecasts and daily conversations about the weather. Used with verbs like 升高 (rise) and 下降 (drop). More specific than simply saying 温度 (temperature), which can refer to any temperature.

Examples

1. 今天的气温是二十度。 Today's temperature is twenty degrees.
2. 明天气温会下降。 The temperature will drop tomorrow.
3. 这里的气温很高。 The temperature here is very high.

Usage Guide

Context: weather, travel, daily life

Tone: informational

Do Say

• 今天气温多少度？(What is the temperature today?)
• 气温太低了，多穿点衣服。(The temperature is too low — wear more clothes.)

Don't Say

• 不要用气温来说体温 (Don't use 气温 for body temperature — use 体温; 气温 is only for outdoor atmospheric temperature)

Origin & History

气 (qì, air/atmosphere) + 温 (wēn, warm/temperature). Literally 'air warmth' — the temperature of the atmosphere.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal