温暖
wēnnuǎn · HSK 3
warm
☀️ 温 = warm + 暖 = warm; doubled-up word meaning warm/cozy
温 (wēn) means warm/mild, 暖 (nuǎn) also means warm. Chinese often pairs two near-synonyms for a smoother two-syllable word, so 温暖 just intensifies the sense of warmth.
暖 — sun radical 日 + 爰 (yuán, phonetic)
暖 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The 日 'sun' radical carries the meaning of warmth, while 爰 supplies the sound (historically close to 'nuǎn'). It originally described the warmth of sunlight and broadened to mean 'warm' in general — both physical heat and figurative warmth like kindness.