暖かい

• Reading: あたたかい
• Romaji: atatakai
• Kanji breakdown: 暖 (dan/atata) — warm (weather)
• Pronunciation: /a.ta.ta.ka.i/

Meaning

Warm; mild; pleasantly hot. Describes comfortable, gentle warmth.

An i-adjective describing a pleasantly warm temperature, usually referring to weather or climate. Distinguished from 温かい (atatakai), which is used for warm objects, food, or feelings. 暖かい specifically refers to atmospheric warmth. Often used to describe spring weather.

Examples

1. 春になると暖かくなります。 It gets warm when spring comes.
2. 今日は暖かいので散歩しましょう。 It's warm today, so let's go for a walk.
3. 南の国は一年中暖かいです。 Southern countries are warm all year round.

Usage Guide

Context: weather, spring, daily conversation

Tone: positive

Origin & History

The kanji 暖 combines 日 (sun) with elements suggesting warmth being contained, representing gentle, comfortable heat from the sun.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal