TongTong
Sign in

温度 (wēn dù) — temperature

Definition

The general word for 'temperature' — use it when no specific kind is implied. For air temperature say 气温, for body temperature say 体温.

noun
temperature
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 温度？
    Jīn tiān wài miàn de wēn dù shì duō shǎo dù?
    What is the temperature outside today?
  • 温度。
    Zhè ge fáng jiān de wēn dù yǒu diǎn dī.
    The temperature in this room is a bit low.
  • ，温度。
    Fā shāo de shí hou, shēn tǐ de wēn dù huì shēng gāo.
    When you have a fever, your body temperature rises.

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.

温wēnwarmth
度dùdegree

温 refers to warmth or temperature, and 度 to degree, so the sense is the degree of warmth.

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.

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 →

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
又又yòuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
石
石shí度dù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

度 has 又 (hand) and a changed form of 石; 石 gives a related sound, and the hand is tied to using the hand as a reference for measurement.

Open 度 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 4HSK 2.0 Level 4Climate & Seasons5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

Browse more HSK 4 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.