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 (verbal)

Characters

to keep, preserve, exist

Examples

他对妻子非常温存。

Tā duì qīzi fēicháng wēncún.

He's very tender with his wife.

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.

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