Chinese word

问寒问暖

Pronunciation

Pinyinwèn hán wèn nuǎn

Meaning

  • verbask about someone's well-being

Example

下班后，妻子会打电话来问寒问暖。xià bān hòu qī zǐ huì dǎ diàn huà lái wèn hán wèn nuǎn

After work, my wife calls to ask how I am doing.

Illustration for 问寒问暖 (ask about someone's well-being)

More examples

妈妈发了一条微信问寒问暖，我很安心。mā mā fā le yì tiáo wēi xìn wèn hán wèn nuǎn wǒ hěn ān xīn

Mom sent me a WeChat message asking how I was doing, and I felt reassured.

Core concept

A caring check on another person's comfort and well-being.

Common phrases

  • 经常问寒问暖jīng cháng wèn hán wèn nuǎn

    frequently ask how someone is doing

  • 主动问寒问暖zhǔ dòng wèn hán wèn nuǎn

    take the initiative to ask how someone is doing

  • 发信息问寒问暖fā xìn xī wèn hán wèn nuǎn

    ask how someone is doing by message

Similar words

问候wèn hòu: Offers a greeting while briefly asking how someone is doing.
关心guān xīn: Shows concern for someone's condition, situation, or feelings.
打招呼dǎ zhāo hū: Greets someone simply when meeting or talking on the phone.
看望kàn wàng: Goes to visit a sick or distant person and check on their condition.

Definition in Chinese

用于表示对他人的关怀，通常通过口头询问对方最近的生活或身体状况以示慰问。yòng yú biǎo shì duì tā rén de guān huái tōng cháng tōng guò kǒu tóu xún wèn duì fāng zuì jìn de shēng huó huò shēn tǐ zhuàng kuàng yǐ shì wèi wèn

Word origin

问 (wèn, "ask") + 寒 (hán, "cold") + 问 + 暖 (nuǎn, "warm") frames concern as asking about both discomfort and comfort, so the idiom means checking on someone's well-being.

Usage tips

  • The idiom suits both close relationships and polite social contact, but the surrounding words determine whether the concern sounds intimate, formal, or routine.

Other meanings

  • show concernverb
  • be concerned about someoneverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word