温饱 (wēn bǎo) — adequate food and clothing; basic living necess…

Definition

温饱 means having enough to eat and wear — the basic subsistence level. Almost always used in fixed contexts like 温饱问题 (the problem of basic needs) or 为温饱而… (to struggle for a living), not as a casual everyday adjective.

adequate food and clothingbasic living necessities(attributive) relating to basic subsistence

Examples

温饱。
Jiě jué wēn bǎo wèn tí shì tuō pín de dì yī bù.
Solving the problem of basic needs is the first step out of poverty.
，温饱。
Èr shí nián qián, hěn duō jiā tíng hái zài wèi wēn bǎo ér bēn bō.
Twenty years ago, many families were still struggling for basic needs.
温饱。
wēn bǎo Shì měi gè gōng mín yīng gāi xiǎng yǒu de jī běn quán lì.
Basic needs are a fundamental right that every citizen should enjoy.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

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

温wēnwarm

饱bǎofull

温 gives warmth, and 饱 gives fullness, together naming basic subsistence.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 飽; 饱 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

食食shífood

Sound part声符shēngfú

包

包bāo飽bǎo

Same sound today

The traditional form 飽 uses 食 to mark food/eating and 包 for the sound.

Open 饱 →

Appears in