温存

溫存

wēncún

adjective #30,630

Meanings

1 tender
2 affectionate
3 (of touch/words) gentle and warm
4 to be tender/affectionate

Characters

to keep, preserve, exist

Examples

HSK 4

他对妻子非常温存。

Tā duì qīzi fēicháng wēncún.

He's very tender with his wife.

HSK 7-9

她温存的目光让我感到安心。

Tā wēncún de mùguāng ràng wǒ gǎndào ānxīn.

Her tender gaze put me at ease.

HSK 7-9

母亲温存地抚摸着孩子的头。

Mǔqīn wēncún de fǔmō zhe háizi de tóu.

The mother gently stroked the child's head.

Tips

register

Literary/written register, common in romance novels, song lyrics, and poetry, less so in casual speech (where 温柔 wēnróu, gentle, is the everyday word). 温存 carries a lingering, intimate quality, suggesting attentive care rather than just a soft personality.

memory

温 (warm) + 存 (to keep, preserve), "warmth that lingers / is held close." Captures the difference from plain 温柔: not just gentle in the moment, but tenderly attentive over time.

Stroke Order

温 wēn

存 cún