取暖

• Pinyin: qǔ nuǎn
• Hanzi breakdown: 取 = 耳 + 又 (obtain/get); 暖 = 日 + 爰 (warm/warmth — the sun providing warmth)

Meaning

To warm oneself; to seek warmth; to keep warm by a heat source.

Refers primarily to physical warmth. 围火取暖 (warm oneself around a fire) is a classic image. Common in discussions of winter living conditions, energy poverty, and traditional lifestyles. 取暖设备 (heating equipment) is a related noun.

Examples

1. 寒冬深夜，路边的流浪者围着垃圾桶里燃起的火堆相互取暖。 On freezing winter nights, people experiencing homelessness huddle around fires lit in trash cans to keep warm.
2. 传统农村冬季靠烧炭取暖，存在一定的一氧化碳中毒风险。 In traditional rural areas, people heat their homes in winter by burning charcoal, which carries a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
3. 政府为困难家庭发放了取暖补贴，帮助他们顺利度过严寒冬季。 The government issued heating subsidies to families in need to help them get through the harsh winter.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, winter, energy, social welfare

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 北方冬季气温极低，居民主要依靠集中供暖系统取暖，南方城市则普遍采用空调或电暖器。(Winter temperatures in the north are extremely low, and residents mainly rely on central heating systems to keep warm, while southern cities generally use air conditioners or electric heaters.)
• 山区的牧民习惯于在帐篷内生火取暖，世代沿袭这一传统生活方式，与严寒的自然环境和谐共处。(Herders in the mountains are accustomed to building fires inside their tents to stay warm, a traditional way of life passed down for generations in harmony with the harsh natural environment.)

Don't Say

• 她靠朋友取暖 — while figuratively comprehensible, this use is unusual in standard Chinese; for emotional warmth, use 获得温暖 or 感受到关怀; 取暖 is primarily physical

Origin & History

取 (obtain/get) + 暖 (warmth) — to get or seek warmth

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal