TongTong
Sign in

保暖 (bǎo nuǎn) — to keep warm; to provide warmth

Definition

保暖 is a verb meaning 'to keep [something/someone] warm,' focusing on the act of retaining warmth (clothes, materials). Unlike 暖和 or 温暖, which describe a warm state, 保暖 emphasizes the function or purpose of providing warmth.

verb
to keep warmto provide warmth

Examples

  • 保暖。
    Zhè jiàn dà yī néng bǎo nuǎn.
    This coat can keep you warm.
  • 保暖。
    Duō chuān yī fu kě yǐ bǎo nuǎn.
    Wearing more clothes can keep you warm.
  • 保暖。
    Zhè zhǒng cái liào yòng lái bǎo nuǎn.
    This material is used to keep warm.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

保bǎokeep
暖nuǎnwarmth

保 means to keep or preserve, and 暖 refers to warmth, so the parts combine to mean keeping something warm.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

保 originally showed a person 人 carrying a child 子 on their back, which led to the sense of protecting.

Open 保 →

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 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6Clothing

Browse more HSK 6 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.