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暖和 (nuǎn huo) — warm (pleasant temperature, often of weather, room, clothing); to warm up, to make or become warm

Definition

暖和 is the everyday word for pleasantly warm — weather, rooms, or people. Compared with 热 it means comfortable warmth, not hot. 温暖 is more literary and often used figuratively (love, care).

warm (pleasant temperature, often of weather, room, clothing)to warm upto make or become warm
Easily confused

Examples

  • ，暖和暖和。
    Wài miàn hěn lěng, kuài jìn lái nuǎn huo nuǎn huo.
    It's cold outside, come in and get warm.
  • 暖和。
    Zhè ge fáng jiān hěn nuǎn huo.
    This room is very warm.
  • 暖和。
    Tā zài huǒ páng biān nuǎn huo shǒu.
    She is warming her hands by the fire.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

暖nuǎnwarm
和héfamiliar

暖 gives warm, and 和 makes the familiar spoken form.

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
日日rìsun
Sound part声符shēngfú
爰
爰yuán暖nuǎn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

暖 is made from 日, the sun, and 爰, which is used for its sound.

Open 暖 →

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
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
禾
禾hé和hé
Same sound today

和 pairs 禾, which gives the sound, with 口 (mouth), the meaning part; the reference connects this shape to harmony.

Open 和 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 4HSK 2.0 Level 4Weather

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