冷暖 (lěng nuǎn) — (literal) changes in temperature; cold and heat… | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Literally 'cold and heat' (temperature changes), but in set phrases like 人情冷暖 and 人生冷暖 it means the ups and downs of relationships and life — like English 'warmth and coldness'.

noun

(literal) changes in temperaturecold and heat(figurative) the ups and downs of lifethe warmth and coldness of human relationships

Examples

冷暖，，。
Zhè lǐ de lěng nuǎn biàn huà hěn dà, xià tiān hěn rè, dōng tiān hěn lěng.
The temperature changes here are big; summers are hot and winters are cold.
冷暖，。
Rén shēng de lěng nuǎn, zhǐ yǒu zì jǐ zhī dào.
Only you know the ups and downs of life.
，冷暖。
Zài wài miàn gōng zuò duō nián, tā zhēn zhèng dǒng de le rén qíng lěng nuǎn.
After working outside for many years, he truly understood the fickleness of human relationships.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

冷 and 暖 stand for cold and warmth, covering temperature changes and the ups and downs of life.

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.

冫令冷

Meaning part形符xíngfú

冫Written in full as仌bīngice

Sound part声符shēngfú

令

令lìng冷lěng

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

冷 uses 冫, the ice form, with 令 as a sound part, to mean cold as ice.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

日爰暖

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.

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