暖 (nuǎn) — warm (adjective); to warm (verb)
Definition
暖 is the base 'warm / to warm', often used as a verb (暖一下手) or attributively (暖水). Among its siblings, 暖和 is the everyday adjective for a pleasant temperature, 温暖 is warmer/more emotional, and 保暖 / 取暖 are both verbs meaning 'to keep warm'.
warm (adjective)to warm (verb)
Easily confused
Examples
- 暖。Jīn tiān tiān qì hěn nuǎn.The weather is very warm today.
- 暖。Wǒ nuǎn le yí xià shǒu zài chī fàn.I warmed my hands before eating.
- 暖，。Zhè bēi niú nǎi hái shì nuǎn de, kuài hē ba.This glass of milk is still warm, drink it quickly.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
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.
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