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常温 (cháng wēn) — room temperature

Definition

常温 refers to 'room temperature' — the ambient indoor temperature without heating or cooling. It is a temperature term (温度), not the 'ordinary/usually' idea of 平常.

noun
room temperature

Examples

  • ，常温。
    Zhè zhǒng niú nǎi bù xū yào fàng zài bīng xiāng lǐ, cháng wēn xià kě yǐ fàng sān tiān.
    This milk doesn't need to be in the fridge; it can be kept at room temperature for three days.
  • ，常温。
    Zuò miàn bāo de shí hou, shuǐ yào yòng cháng wēn de.
    When making bread, use room temperature water.
  • 常温。
    Zhè ge shí yàn xū yào zài cháng wēn xià jìn xíng.
    This experiment needs to be conducted at room temperature.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

常chángordinary
温wēntemperature

常 means ordinary, 温 means temperature; together they give room temperature.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
巾巾jīncloth
Sound part声符shēngfú
尚
尚shàng常cháng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

常 pairs 巾, a cloth, with 尚 as a sound part; the form originally referred to a lower garment.

Open 常 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 溫; 温 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 溫 is based on an older form 𥁕, which drew a person bathing in a container full of warm water. The simplified 温 is a later variant.

Open 温 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6

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