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保温 (bǎo wēn) — heat preservation; thermal insulation

Definition

A technical/lifestyle noun meaning 'heat preservation / thermal insulation' — typically used for cups, clothing, or building materials that keep warmth in. Often paired with 性能, 效果, or 材料 as in the examples.

noun
heat preservationthermal insulation

Examples

  • 保温。
    Zhè ge bēi zi de bǎo wēn xiào guǒ hěn hǎo.
    This cup's heat preservation is very good.
  • 保温。
    Zhè zhǒng cái liào de bǎo wēn xìng néng hěn qiáng.
    This material's thermal insulation performance is very strong.
  • 保温。
    Dōng tiān yào zhù yì shí wù de bǎo wēn.
    In winter, pay attention to food heat preservation.

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
温wēnwarmth

保 means “keep” and 温 means “warmth”, so the parts say keep the warmth.

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.

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 →
Appears in
Physics & Chemistry

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