温器 (wēn qì) — warming vessel; heating vessel (for liquor, tea, or medicine)

Definition

noun
warming vesselheating vessel (for liquor, tea, or medicine)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 温器。
    Gǔ rén cháng yòng tóng zhì wēn qì lái wēn jiǔ.
    Ancient people often used bronze warming vessels to heat wine.
  • 温器。
    Zhè ge wēn qì kě yǐ bǎo chí chá shuǐ wēn dù.
    This warming vessel can keep the tea warm.
  • 温器。
    Yào fáng yòng wēn qì jiā rè zhōng yào.
    The pharmacy uses a heating vessel to warm Chinese medicine.

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wēnwarm
器qìvessel

温 means warm and 器 means vessel, together a vessel for warming.

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 →

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

The origin of 器 is uncertain; one traditional account reads the whole shape as a scene of guarding over four vessels.

Open 器 →

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