温暖

• Pinyin: wēn nuǎn
• Hanzi breakdown: 温 = 氵 (water) + 昷 (phonetic) — warm water; 暖 = 日 (sun) + 爰 (phonetic) — warmth from the sun

Meaning

Warm; warmth. Describes a comfortably warm temperature or a feeling of emotional warmth.

Used for both physical warmth (warm weather, warm clothes) and emotional warmth (warm-hearted, a warm family). Can function as an adjective (warm), a noun (warmth), or a verb (to warm someone's heart).

Examples

1. 春天来了，天气变得温暖了。 Spring has come and the weather has become warm.
2. 她的话让我感到很温暖。 Her words made me feel very warm inside.
3. 他给了我一个温暖的拥抱。 He gave me a warm hug.

Usage Guide

Context: weather, emotions, family

Tone: warm

Do Say

• 今天的阳光很温暖。(Today's sunshine is very warm.)
• 这是一个温暖的故事。(This is a heartwarming story.)

Don't Say

• 今天很温暖，有三十八度。(For hot temperatures above 30°C, use 热, not 温暖. 温暖 implies pleasantly warm, not scorching.)

Origin & History

温 means 'warm' (originally related to warm water) and 暖 also means 'warm' (related to sunlight). The two characters reinforce each other to express comfortable warmth.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal