暖气

• Pinyin: nuǎn qì
• Hanzi breakdown: 暖 = 日 (sun) + 爰 (aid/pull) — warmth from the sun; 气 = rising vapour — air or gas

Meaning

Heating; central heating; radiator. The system or equipment that provides warmth indoors during cold weather.

Refers to indoor heating systems, particularly the central heating common in northern China, as well as the individual radiators or heaters themselves. Common collocations include 开暖气 (turn on the heating), 暖气片 (radiator panel), and 供暖气 (supply heating). In northern China, central heating typically runs from November to March and is a major part of daily winter life.

Examples

1. 北方的冬天很冷，家里都有暖气。 Winters in the north are very cold, so every home has heating.
2. 今年暖气什么时候开始供应？ When will the heating start being supplied this year?
3. 暖气开太大了，房间里有点热。 The heating is turned up too high — the room is a bit hot.

Usage Guide

Context: home, winter, daily life

Tone: practical

Do Say

• 冬天来了，该开暖气了。(Winter is here — time to turn on the heating.)
• 这个房间的暖气不太热，能修一下吗？(The heating in this room isn't very warm — can it be fixed?)

Don't Say

• 暖气很暖气 (Don't repeat 暖气 as an adjective — say 暖气很热 or 暖气很暖和; 暖气 is a noun, not an adjective)

Origin & History

A compound of 暖 (warm) and 气 (air/gas) — warm air, referring to the heated air or the system that produces it.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal