暖房 (nuǎn fáng) — greenhouse; hothouse; housewarming party

Definition

One word, two distinct senses: literally a 'warm room' — a greenhouse for growing plants out of season — and, separately, the name for a housewarming party held at someone's new home.

noun
greenhousehothousehousewarming party
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 暖房。
    Zhè ge nuǎn fáng shì zhuān mén yòng lái péi yù rè dài zhí wù de.
    This greenhouse is specifically used for cultivating tropical plants.
  • ，暖房。
    Shàng zhōu mò wǒ men qù le péng you de xīn jiā, cān jiā le yí gè hěn rè nao de nuǎn fáng.
    Last weekend we went to a friend's new home and attended a very lively housewarming party.
  • ，暖房。
    Běi fāng de dōng tiān hěn lěng, dàn shì nuǎn fáng lǐ de shū cài cháng dé hěn hǎo.
    The winter in the north is very cold, but the vegetables in the greenhouse grow well.

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.

暖nuǎnwarm
房fángroom

暖 and 房 describe a warm room, hence a greenhouse.

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
戶戶hùdoor
Sound part声符shēngfú
方
方fāng房fáng
Same sound today

房 pairs 戶 (door) with 方 (fāng) as a sound part; 方 can also fit 'side,' as in a side room beside the main room.

Open 房 →

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