温暖 wēnnuǎn warm
How to remember 温暖: 温 warm + 暖 warm = warm.
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How it is used
- Warm - both physical (温暖的阳光 warm sunshine) and emotional (温暖的家 a warm home, 感到温暖 to feel warmth).
- 温暖 is a comfortable, pleasant warmth (and figurative warmth of feeling); 热 (rè) is plain hot, 暖和 (nuǎnhuo) is the colloquial 'nice and warm.'
- Can be a verb: 温暖人心 (wēnnuǎn rénxīn) to warm people's hearts.
- Emotional register: 温暖 carries a caring, cozy connotation that 热 lacks.